Wedding Bell Blues
by Northern-Southern Belle
Summary: To cope with his struggle to face Savannah's upcoming wedding to Jonathan Putnam, Klaus compels a relationship with Amy, who's doing her best to keep herself and daughter Vivi away from him cause she's still full of anger about her murder at his hands. And Mikael and Gwen welcome son King into the world, uncertain about their parenting ability. Crossover with Love Is a Battlefield.
1. A Little Happiness

Disclaimer: Only original characters and plot belong to me.

"You know, I have to compliment you," Margot said to Amy as they walked Vivi through the park in her stroller a few months after Henry and Margaret's wedding. "I was really worried for you when you made that incredibly _stupid _decision to get back together with Klaus, cause hey, that jackass murdered you, for fuck's sake. But you seem to have come to your senses, so no harm done. And you're a lot more cheerful, too."

"Yeah, I really can't explain it," Amy shrugged. "I just feel good every morning. And what is wrong with you, Margot? You know you shouldn't swear in front of the baby!"

"Why not?" Margot asked, ruffling her niece's hair. "She doesn't understand what I'm saying. Do you, Vivi?" The redheaded baby stared, clueless, up at her aunt. "See?" Margot pointed. "I rest my case."

Just then, they started violently and Vivi giggled and reached when Savannah appeared in front of them. "Do I need to fix things yet?" She asked. "Has Vivi turned into anything?"

"No, we're fine at the moment," Amy replied. "But it probably wouldn't hurt if you stuck around a bit. Come walk with us. It's a beautiful day."

Savannah grumbled. "Ever since Vivi started showing her powers, I've turned into the family servant and it _sucks_!"

"Well, I'm sorry about that," Amy replied. "But as you know, neither your aunt or I have powers. If you weren't here and Vivi changed, we wouldn't be able to do anything about it!"

"So you push a bear cub in a stroller for a bit," Savannah shrugged. "Yes, it will look strange, but you can just tell people you're into exotic pets. They're not gonna take up pitchforks and hunt you down."

"I know it's not fun for you to be in this situation, and that there are other ways you'd prefer to spend your time," Amy told her. "But I need your help. It's only until her first birthday. Things will even out by then."

Savannah sighed. "Fine. But it's not like I don't have a wedding to plan or anything like that. Oh, wait! I do! Can I be excused?"

"Fine," Amy replied. "Go. But first, give your sister a hug. She looks so happy to see you."

With a roll of her eyes, Savannah picked Vivi up out of her stroller, gave her a brief hug, and then disappeared.

"Okay, check her now," Amy said. "Did her pin get jostled? The one with the spell on it so she can stay out here?"

"Well, since she hasn't burst into flame, I'd say everything is all right," Margot replied dryly. "You're fretting again and turning into the anal retentive sister I know so well."

"You can't blame me!" Amy said. "I'm raising Vivi practically all alone! There's so much pressure! I wish I could have a break, but we know_ that _won't happen. I have to be on guard every minute in case Klaus shows up!"

"I still think you need to relax," Margot replied. "How about after we have this nice walk (which was supposed to be calming, by the way), I'll take Vivi home with me and you can have your apartment to yourself?"

"I don't know..." Amy hesitated.

"You know what? You're gonna do it," Margot told her. "No arguments."

They did a few laps around the park, then Margot took charge of the stroller. "Go home now!" She ordered Amy. "Relax, take a bath, read a book...something! You need it or else you're gonna die!"

"Fine," Amy gave in. "You take care of Vivi, though! Don't let her out of your sight for a minute!"

"Just go!" Margot called back. "Everything will be fine."

* * *

When Amy reached the apartment door, she pulled out her key to unlock it, but it opened seemingly on its own and she was pulled inside, coming face to face with Klaus. She was about to cry out when Klaus put a hand over her mouth. "Don't scream," he whispered. "I compelled the landlord to let me in here."

"What-what do you want?" Amy got out.

"Savannah told me you've been tense and I came to help," Klaus replied and locked eyes with her. "Let me help you. Now that I'm here, everything will be all right. All you need to do is trust me. I never planned to do this during the day. Just at night, like I have been, but I was concerned."

"All right!" Amy perked up, the compulsion having done its work. "I was gonna take a bath. Wanna join me? I bet you've been very lonely lately."

"Well, since you asked," Klaus replied and kissed her hand. "Of course I won't say 'No'."

"Good," Amy replied and led him to the bath where, after it was filled with water, he climbed in and watched her undress without blinking. When she got in the bath beside him, he put his arms around her and noticed the tension in her shoulders. "Is the rest of you this tense?" He asked. "I'll be very thorough if I need to be."

"Please do," Amy replied. "It's been so hard raising Vivi and being scared of you. But I guess I don't need to be, right? I'm worrying for nothing."

"Perhaps not," Klaus replied as he scrubbed her. "Perhaps you're being smart, and I'm being selfish." He sighed. "If only you could protect me from myself." He leaned forward and kissed her deeply as she threw her arms around his neck.

"You're such a good kisser," she said. "No one is as good as you. You've ruined me for other men."

Klaus nodded. "I figured as much," he said. "And that's why I'm doing this: better have us be together through deception than be honest, alone, and miserable, right?"

"Yeah," Amy nodded. "Sounds okay to me!" She snuggled against him the best she could and took a deep breath.

"I saw you came in alone," Klaus commented, his breath ruffling her hair. "Where's Vivi?"

"Margot took her and commanded that I relax," Amy replied. "And I think I am. And what's with Savannah? She's in a worse mood then usual. It can't just be because she's upset about having to help with Vivi's changes cause she's the only one with powers."

Klaus chuckled. "Putnam is making her be celibate until their wedding, and celibacy is not sitting well with her," he replied. "Hasn't she told you?"

"Not that I remember," Amy replied. "She never seems to tell me anything. I don't think she likes me very much."

"Don't let it worry you," Klaus replied. "I'm sure she'll get over it eventually." He looked at her hand. "Your fingers are all wrinkly. Maybe we should get out."

"And do what?" Amy asked. "I'm interested to know."

Klaus grinned. "I have a few ideas," he said.

"But we really only need one," Amy pointed out. She got out of the bath and dried herself off with a towel before letting it drop at her feet. "Don't keep me waiting," she told Klaus with a wink before she sauntered out of the bathroom and climbed into bed, leaving Klaus to follow her and take her in his arms. As usual, she was making it _really _hard for him to want to remove the compulsion. If it were up to him, she'd be like this forever, cause this way, even if it was wrong, at least they were getting along, even if it was just for a little bit at a time.

* * *

He opted to not go visit Amy again that night, but that didn't mean the house was free of problems. Being celibate for so long was indeed making Savannah out of sorts, and causing her evenings to be very unpleasant. This night, she sat up in bed and decided to put a stop to it. "I know he'll scold me for it," she whispered to herself. "But really, he had to expect that I'd do something like this at some point, so it's not like it will shock him." She zapped herself to Jonathan's and sneaked into his bedroom where her fiance, usually a heavy sleeper, was lying still in bed and breathing evenly, his longish dark hair splayed all over the pillow. The blinds on his window were halfway open so that light from a streetlamp shone on his face. Savannah came to stare at him for a long moment, then heard him mutter her name. Encouraged by this, she had a naughty idea. If he was presumably dreaming about her, why not make it more enjoyable? She took off her clothes and climbed into bed next to him, reaching under the covers (and his boxers) to stroke him gently. Though it didn't wake him immediately, he began moaning and muttering, "Yes, yes. That's the spot," before finally opening his eyes, letting out a yell, and turning the lights on with a flick of his wrist.

"Damn it, Savannah!" He yelled as he tried to cover himself up. "What in the world do you think you're doing?"

"Giving you good dreams," Savannah replied. "You weren't complaining a few minutes ago!"

"You can't do that, you know," Jonathan told her. "You can't just stroll in here and do things like that when I'm asleep because you're horny and you can't deal with it!"

"Now that's not entirely fair!" Savannah said. "I was pleasing _you_. I didn't come here to try and make you please _me!_"

"Somehow I doubt that," Jonathan snapped. "Because the concept of delayed gratification has always eluded you, hasn't it?"

"Okay, fine," Savannah replied. "I'm sorry. But you were expecting me to do something like this, weren't you?"

"Yes," Jonathan nodded. "But I hoped you wouldn't. I'm not doing this to try and make you miserable, even though it might seem like it."

"And I'm not trying to be difficult, either," Savannah replied. "I just miss you is all."

She looked so innocent and contrite that Jonathan let out a sigh and took her in his arms.

"Well, I miss you too," he said, kissing her hair. "It won't be too long to wait, I promise."

"How many months do we have left again?" Savannah asked.

"Don't think about that," Jonathan replied. "I'll let you stay here with me tonight, but tomorrow, you're going back home. Is that fair?"

"Yes," Savannah replied. "I suppose it's fair."

"Well, then good night," Jonathan told her and turned off the light."

"Good night," Savannah replied, pulling the covers over herself and chuckling. "And sweet dreams."

* * *

Mikael was up early making breakfast when the toaster malfunctioned and burned his toast. Then the lights began flicking on and off, and the glasses waiting to be washed by the housekeeper just exploded, leaving shards of glass all over the floor. Swearing at his toast and throwing it in the sink, Mikael ran in the direction of the bedroom and met Gwen, who was screaming. "What the hell is going on, Gwendolyn?" He yelled. "You're making a big mess of things!"

"Oh, fuck you!" Gwen yelled. "Your son is yelling at me to bring him into this world, and I'll be damned if I take it from you too. Now let's go!"

Mikael heard this and swore under his breath. "And so it begins," he said to himself.

* * *

They made their way to the hospital, but were paused halfway by a very long train going down a railroad track. Gwen watched it go for several minutes before muttering to herself, "Fuck this," The train then exploded in several pieces as Mikael watched, stunned. "There we go," Gwen said. "Now drive,_ damn _it, or else I will not hesitate to make you look like the people in those train cars. Little chunks of you all over the place. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Gwendolyn," Mikael sighed and drove over the tracks, leaving the injured and dead from the train behind them. When they finally reached the hospital, Gwen bullied her way into a room despite there being several people ahead of her who were in just as much need.

"Calm down, Gwendolyn," Mikael was brave enough to tell her. "People will think you don't have any manners."

"I don't care!" Gwen cried, grabbing his hand and squeezing it so hard that he was sure his fingers were broken. "Contraction!" Gwen screamed. "Contraction! Don't just stand there like an idiot! Get a doctor in here!"

"Well, if you'll just let go of my hand, I'll do that," Mikael replied.

She grudgingly let go and Mikael left the room to drag in a nurse or a doctor to look her over.

When they arrived, Gwen punched the doctor in the face. "Give me drugs!" She cried. "Whatever you've got, I want it!"

"Fine," the doctor replied, his hand on his eye. "Just try and relax, all right?"

"Tell me something," Gwen said to him. "Do you think it would be easy for you to relax if you felt that entire middle was being twisted like a pretzel and then set a fire?"

"No," he got out. "Not really."

"Well, then _don't_ tell me to relax, you idiot!" Gwen shouted. "Get my medicine!" She looked for something to throw at him, but saw nothing. Normally, Mikael would have enjoyed Gwen's contempt for the little people, but this time, he couldn't help but feel a tad sorry for the doctors who were having to deal with her in this state.

"Next time they come back, compel them to fix me fast!" Gwen ordered him.

"Fine," Mikael replied. "I will."

Finally, they got her all drugged and told her that the only thing left to do was wait.

"He's doing this on purpose just to annoy me," Gwen said to Mikael irritably. "I have no idea how our son knows I hate tardiness, but he's really taking his sweet time, isn't he?"

"Let me think of a way to distract you," Mikael replied and gave Rebecca a call. She arrived at the hospital and called Amy, who called Selina, who called Elijah, and soon, the room was packed with people chattering loudly and waiting.

Finally, the doctor announced that it was time for Gwen to push. "I'm too old for this," she said as she pushed and pushed. Finally, King made his entrance, and Gwen peered down at him. "Know this," she said. "If I hadn't just spent so much energy giving you life, I would be so mad at you right now. You took way too long to get here!"

"But he's cute, though," Selina replied, coming over to the bedside "You know, for someone who was just born. I'll enjoy taking care of him." She called over to Elijah, "hey, wanna come see your brother?"

Elijah came to stand next to her and have a look. "I have another brother," he said. "Wonderful. Hello, King." He scoffed at the ridiculous name, but said nothing else.

"Yes it is, isn't it?" Mikael replied, staring down at the boy. "Another son to carry on my legacy. This is a wonderful day." He kissed Gwen's forehead. "Thank you, Gwendolyn," he told her.

"You're welcome," Gwen replied as Rebecca wiped her forehead and fluffed her pillows. "But don't expect me to do this again anytime soon."


	2. Baby Love

"I can't believe Grandma had a kid," Robbie grumbled. "And it's nice you wanna see it, Mom, but why did you have to drag me along too? That stupid boyfriend of Grandma's hates me."

"Well, you probably started something with him," Rebecca replied. "You need to learn not to pick fights with people. It's not nice."

"I grew up without a good masculine example," Robbie replied. "My behavior is not my fault."

"Whatever," Rebecca replied. "I'm not in the mood to argue with you about this. Just be civil, okay?"

"Fine," Robbie replied. "I will."

"Good," Rebecca nodded. "You do that."

They reached Gwen and Mikael's and Rebecca knocked. "Mother? Mikael? Are you home?"

Just then, the door opened and Gwen scowled at her. "You didn't have to shout," she said. "Did it occur to you that the baby might be sleeping?"

"Oh, damn, you're right," Rebecca replied, putting a hand over her mouth. "I'm sorry. Did I wake him up?"

"Lucky for you, no," Gwen replied. "Now, if you're gonna come in, then come in. Don't just stand here on the steps."

Rebecca and Robbie followed Gwen inside and sat down. "So," Rebecca asked her mother, "how's motherhood for the second time?"

"Well, it's much more difficult than it was with you," Gwen replied.

"Why?" Robbie wanted to know. "Is it because you're old now?"

"It most certainly is not!" Gwen replied. "Mikael is not an easy person to raise a child with. No wonder his wife cheated on him."

"What's the problem?" Rebecca asked.

Gwen rolled her eyes. "We have different opinions on parenting," she said. "He feels I smother King too much, and that I'm preventing him from achieving his full masculine potential, which is absolutely ridiculous, cause he's just an infant. And really, what is Mikael's tactic, which is basically to neglect him, supposed to achieve, anyway?"

"Once again, you are _grossly_ misinterpreting what I'm saying, Gwendolyn," Mikael came down from one of the upper floors. "I'm not saying we should neglect the boy. But there's no need to attend to him every moment, either."

"Well, I'm not right now," Gwen replied. "So stop scolding me."

"Oh, I would not _dream_ of scolding your highness, since you seem to feel like you know everything and have no wish to be contradicted!" Mikael snapped, but quietly.

"Are you saying that you want to be part of the process of raising your son, instead of perpetuating the ridiculous idea that because I'm a woman, that's my department?" Gwen asked.

"Perhaps," Mikael replied. "But only because you'll ruin my son otherwise." He then noticed Robbie. "What's _he_ doing here?"

"I was brought here against my will because Mom wanted to see the baby," Robbie told him. "If you don't want me here, I want to be here even less." He then stood up and zapped himself out of the room before Mikael could say another word.

Rebecca sighed. "I'm trying to help him learn how to be civil around other people," she said. "But apparently, I'm failing miserably."

"You're a nice girl," Mikael told her. "It's probably not your fault. Where's his father?"

"Oh, who knows where Klaus is at the moment?" Rebecca shrugged. "After what happened between him and Amy because of my relationship with him, I've been staying away."

"Klaus?" Mikael repeated. "My wife's bastard son Klaus?"

"Sure," Rebecca nodded. "I guess."

"I should have _known_ he was Robbie's father!" Mikael said. "It all makes sense now. I _knew_ the incredible sense of irritation that the boy filled me with was familiar."

"It was a one night stand," Rebecca said. "I don't really know him all that well."

"You really dodged a bullet," Mikael replied. "If you find Robbie difficult to deal with, Klaus is even worse. "I can't imagine a single person who'd be able to handle him. I just hope King doesn't turn out the same way."

"Well, if he does, it won't be because of me," Gwen replied. "I'm not the difficult one."

"Me neither," Mikael replied. "So I guess we're safe."

Just then, King woke up. As Gwen rose to her feet, Rebecca stood up. "You sit," she said. "I'll go and check up on the little guy. It's nothing I can't handle."

"All right," Gwen said, sitting back down. "If you're sure."

Rebecca nodded and ran up the stairs, into her little brother's room. She picked him up, changed him, and fed him, and then cuddled with him. "I know your parents are kind of crazy," she told him. "I know. Your mother raised me too. But it's not all bad. Mother means well." She hugged him. "Now that I got you all fixed up, wanna go see her?" She held King close and brought him down to Gwen. "Here," she replied. "He wanted to see you. He's a handsome boy."

"I know," Gwen said fondly. "Isn't he?"

"You gonna raise him on your own, or...?" Rebecca trailed off.

"Not _all_ the time," Gwen said. "I've made arrangements for his care during the day. It's probably better for him that way, anyway. I'm taking him for his first day of day care in a week or so. Mikael's daughter in law is watching him. He assures me she's good with children, and when I brought him to her so they could get acquainted, he seemed to take to her. I guess she's acceptable."

"Well, of course she is!" Mikael said. "After seven of them with Elijah alone, why wouldn't she be?"

* * *

"Hi, Aunt Amy!" Regina greeted her aunt as Amy came into the house. "Did you bring Vivi with you? I'm getting more used to her now."

"I had no idea," Amy replied. "I left her with a friend of mine, but I'll remember how much you like having her around next time. Where are your mom and dad?"

"I'll go get them," Regina said and ran to find Margot. "Aunt Amy is here!" she told her mother. Hearing this, Margot dropped her basket of laundry and rushed toward her daughter. "Is she in the house?"

"Yes," Regina replied. "What's wrong?"

"Your dad and Uncle Klaus are watching sports, remember?" Margot asked. "And Amy doesn't want to be near uncle Klaus. Think up some excuse to send her away."

"All right," Regina replied. "I'll try." She ran back to Amy who was preparing to sit on the sofa and started to try and push her toward the door.

"What's the matter, Regina?" Amy asked as she struggled not to fall down. "I just got here!"

"You have to go!" Regina replied. "Mom is busy and can't talk right now."

"What's she doing?" Amy asked. "She can't be _that_ busy."

Regina paused. "Okay," she said. "Mom's not busy, but...Uncle Klaus is downstairs with Daddy watching TV and Mom thought you wouldn't want to see him."

"Well, I don't," Amy replied. "But I'm an adult, and I'm sure there's enough room in this house for the both of us."

But it was at that moment that Klaus came up the stairs. Before he even had time to look up and acknowledge Amy's presence, she gave him a hard push and sent him tumbling back down the staircase with a _thud!_

"What's going on?" Kol called out. "What was that noise?"

"I was just shoved down the stairs," Klaus replied, sitting up with his hand on his head. Then, he saw Amy, who glowered at him from the top of the staircase. "Well, damn," he said, a small smile on his face. "I should have known."

"Stay away from me!" Amy replied. "I mean it."

"Oh, I have no intention of coming near you," Klaus assured her. "Because as hard as it might be for you to believe, I have other things to focus on in my life besides you."

"Well, you better!" Amy replied. She then strode off as Margot came into the living room. "Sorry," Regina told her. "I'm a bad liar."

"It's all right," Margot told her. "It's not your fault. And it seems like Aunt Amy is handling things all right."

Amy stood at the top of the stairs until Klaus disappeared back into the basement and then went to sit between Margot and Regina on the sofa. "Sorry about that," She apologized to Margot. "Reflexes, you know."

"Oh, you don't have to apologize," Margot replied. "You didn't do anything wrong."

"I wasn't apologizing for hurting Klaus," Amy replied. "I'm okay with that. I was apologizing for interrupting things with the noise when his body hit the floor."

"And that's really _his _fault, isn't it?" Margot winked.

"Yeah," Amy grinned. "I guess it is."

The rest of Amy's time at Klaus' was spent in peace as he stayed downstairs with Kol, but that night, he returned to her apartment. They spent several hours in bed, and then, before removed the compulsion and left, Klaus went to Vivi's room and tuned on the light, going over to stare down into Vivi's bassinet. This wasn't the first time he'd visited her, so she recognized him and reached up. He smiled and picked her up, and they sat in her rocking chair together.

"You should be scared of me," he told her. "But you're too young to know that. All you know is that I'm a nice man who comes and visits at night, doing you no harm." He stared down into her big blue eyes and made request. "Please end up like your mother," he begged. "Be someone loving, gentle, and kind. The world can be a hard place to live in, and it's so easy to react badly, but you shouldn't. Don't be like me. Don't be like your sister, Savannah. Be like your mother. Be a good girl. Please." He then gave her a kiss, put her back in her bed, shut off the light, and left the apartment.

* * *

The next morning, he found himself facing his other daughter as she came in about the same time he did. "Where were you?" He asked her.

"It depends," Savannah replied. "Are you gonna tell me where _you_ were?"

"None of your business!" Klaus replied.

"Same," Savannah told him. She said down and rubbed her eyes. "I'm tired. Didn't get much sleep last night. But I have to be going to Mom's to help with Vivi." She narrowed her eyes at her father. "You know, I am _just_ as pissed at her for cheating with Robbie as you are, but did you really have to kill her? Thanks to you, she has no powers and I have to be at her beck and call since Vivi is getting hers now."

"Well, I apologize," Klaus said. "I know I should have controlled my temper. It's something I hear from Alistair every damn day."

"So, what are you gonna do with yourself?" Savannah asked. "Turn into a wolf and camp out in the woods again?"

"Probably," Klaus replied. "Nothing much else to do if you're gonna be focused on wedding planning when you're done helping your mother."

"Yeah, I think I am," Savannah replied, and shifted uncomfortably. "I'm _really_ gonna have to talk to Jonathan about this whole celibacy thing and see if we can't come to some sort of compromise."

Klaus scoffed. "Good luck with that," he said.

Just then, her phone rang. Savannah peered at it and growled. "I'm coming, you nagging shrew!" she yelled at her mother's name. "Give me just a damn minute, would you?"

Klaus frowned. "I can't believe that's how you talk to your mother," he said. "You should treat her with more respect."

"And why would you care?" Savannah asked. "Was she respecting _you_ when she cheated with Robbie? Whose side are you on, anyway?"

She left and Klaus sighed. With the mood his daughter was in, since she was his only company, was it any wonder he found himself slipping away to Amy's every night?


	3. Just A Misunderstanding

"I really think we should talk about this celibacy thing," Savannah told Jonathan from his bed. "Can we at least make a compromise?"

"What sort of compromise?" Jonathan asked suspiciously. "The kind that's not really a compromise, but me giving you what you want?"

"No!" Savannah replied. "I swear that's not what it is. What if we do a celibacy thing, but only for like, the last two weeks until the wedding? You still get your special wedding night, and I won't be driven insane by a lack of personal contact!"

"What _is_ making you so bitter lately?" Jonathan asked.

"Mom and I are having difficulties," Savannah replied. "Don't ask." She eyed him hopefully. "But maybe if we have sex, my mood will change."

"I hope you don't mind if I ignore that request," Jonathan replied. "What's going on?"

"It's all Mom!" Savannah replied. "She cheated on my father, she treats me like Vivi's servant, and even _Daddy_ is telling me to be nice to her! I bet she doesn't even care about me anymore! Can't people just respect my right to hate Mom and be angry?" She began tearing at Jonathan's feather pillow, sending goose feathers flying all over the room. "Hey, hey, hey!" Jonathan cried, snatching the torn pillow away and repairing it with a flick of his wrist. "Stop that! You're not an animal."

"Actually I am," Savannah replied with a chuckle. "At least somewhat, anyway."

"Yes, well, that may be, but it's no excuse for this vendetta against your mother," Jonathan chided. "She's going through a lot right now, and you're not making it any easier."

"So we're not gonna talk about having sex?" Savannah asked. "That's off the table?"

"Not exactly," Jonathan told her. "If you go apologize to your mother, and have a discussion with her about your fears like a grown-up, then we can discuss it."

"I don't want to!" Savannah cried. "I don't owe her anything!" She crossed her arms and huffed. "And if you don't like me like, this, tough! It's how I am."

"It is indeed," Jonathan replied. "You've never dealt with anger or frustration particularly well. I remember when you were just a teeny little thing and you dropped one of your toys out of your play pen and you stood up and stared at it, reaching your little hand toward floor, and when you realized your arms were too short, you just started screaming so much the windows broke and the curtains caught fire. I had a lot to explain to your parents after that. You had a very destructive anger. You still do, as a matter of fact."

"And what was the point of that statement?" Savannah asked, eyes narrowed. "Am I supposed to feel ashamed, or something?"

"Well, what's the point in me hoping for that?" Jonathan asked. "I was just making an observation."

"How about you stop?" Savannah replied, sitting up.

"Why don't you just go talk to your mother?" Jonathan asked. "I think that once you do, you'll feel much better."

"What if she doesn't want to see me?" Savannah asked.

"Well, you'll never know until you try, will you?" Jonathan asked.

"I won't do it!" Savannah replied. "If she wants to pay attention to her precious, good baby daughter, I don't want anything to do with her."

"I didn't want to have to do this," Jonathan replied. "But if you expect me to pick sides between you and your mother in this argument, I'm going to choose your mother every time, because she is a good, kind, loving person, who made a mistake and was _murdered._ How you can know that happened to her and have absolutely no sympathy for her situation while thinking only of yourself...I don't understand that. And I can't be with someone who acts that way." He zapped the ring off her finger and stuck it in his pocket.

"Hey!" Savannah replied. "That's_ mine_! Give it back!"

"You've temporarily lost the privilege to wear it," Jonathan told her firmly. "Until you talk to your mother like an adult, I'll be keeping this. I won't give it to anyone else, but you won't see it again until then, either."

Just then, Savannah's phone rang and she sat up. "Damn," she said, looking at it.

"Your mother?" Jonathan asked.

"Well, of course," Savannah scowled. "Who _else_ would it be?"

"I think I'll come with you," Jonathan replied. "In case you and she want to have a little talk. I won't believe it was done unless I see it."

"Fine," Savannah replied. "Come along. I don't care. It's not gonna make any difference."

* * *

"Savannah!" Amy cried when she opened the door. "And Jonathan! What a surprise. Come in!" Just then, a bird flew out the door. "Fuck!" Amy swore and looked at Savannah. "That was your sister! Go after her, would you, dear? I _knew_ I shouldn't have left the door open."

"Oh, fine," Savannah sighed. "Just call me a bird catcher." She took off in the direction the bird had flown and Amy gestured for Jonathan to come inside. "What brings you here?" She asked. "Can I get you something to eat? Some tea, maybe?"

"Tea would be nice," Jonathan replied. "A little milk and some sugar, please." When they both sat down with their drinks, Jonathan cleared his throat. "I came here because I'm concerned about the state of your relationship with Savannah. Ever since the incident that led to you living alone here, things between the two of you seem to have deteriorated."

"Well, that's no surprise," Amy replied. "She's very devoted to her father, and so it's natural that if she has to pick between the two of us, she's going to pick him." She shrugged. "I wish it was different, but that's how it is."

"Just a question," Jonathan said. "Whenever Vivi's powers flare up and you call Savannah to fix it, is it typical for you to just order her about, or do you usually ask politely and because you were dealing with an escaped bird, this was an off day?"

Amy sighed. "I know that when I talked to Savannah, I wasn't as polite as I should have been, and it seemed like I was ordering her about, but really, I have no choice but to call her when Vivi changes. I don't have any powers of my own anymore."

"Well, you know that if you're in trouble, you could always call _me_," Jonathan said. "Instead of always making your daughter come all the way over here. I wouldn't mind."

"I couldn't presume on you like that," Amy replied. "You don't exist to serve me."

"Well, neither does your daughter, really," Jonathan replied. "Does she visit any time other than when she comes to help Vivi?"

"No," Amy shook her head. "And even when she comes to visit Vivi, she's always in a bad mood. If it's a tantrum about my cheating on her father, that's over and done with. There's nothing I can do to fix it."

"Her irritation toward you is not all about your affair," Jonathan said. "That's all I'm going to say because I want this to be discussed between the two of you and I think it's so important that I've told Savannah the engagement is on hold until you two talk."

"Here's your baby," Savannah replied at the next moment, bringing a gleeful Vivi in and plopping her in Amy's lap. "I caught her in the stairwell and we had a very serious talk about how naughty it was to turn into a bird and fly away."

"Well, thank you for catching her before she got out a window," Amy replied and kissed Vivi's hair. Then she and Savannah stared at one another awkwardly before Amy turned away and looked at the clock. "I hate to break this up," she said. "But I have a date in a few minutes. We usually meet at the restaurant, but tonight's the first time he's picking me up at the apartment."

"Do you...do you need me to stay and babysit?" Savannah offered. "It would be the easiest thing, I think."

"Well, if the two of you were planning on doing something tonight, I don't want to spoil it," Amy replied.

"No, we don't have anything planned," Savannah replied, looking ruefully at her bare finger again. "I'm free."

Just then, the doorbell rang and Amy went to answer it. She opened the door and saw her date, a man with short brown hair, a lightly freckled face, and deep blue eyes, who was wearing a brown sport coat. "Ready to go?" He asked. Then, his eyes saw Jonathan and Savannah holding Vivi. "Unless you're busy?"

"No," Amy replied. "These are my daughters, and this is a friend of mine."

"You have kids?" He asked, his eyebrow going up.

"Is that a problem?" Amy asked. "I thought I told you."

The man caught Jonathan's eye and said quickly, "No, it's fine. Let's go."

They left, and Jonathan said, "I have a feeling your mother is going to come home alone. Don't you?"

"Yeah," Savannah nodded. "You wanna stay?"

"Sure," Jonathan replied. "Why not?" He stayed for a bit to watch a movie, and then a call from his mother sent him away. Savannah put her sister to bed and sat on the sofa again, watching TV until she felt tired, so she dimmed the lights and fell asleep on the sofa. This was what Klaus saw when he came for his usual visit, and, since he was a little buzzed this time, he got a compelled Savannah to undress to her bra and panties and got her nearly to the bedroom before he turned on a light and realized that it wasn't Amy at all. His mind cleared and he quickly removed the compulsion and found Savannah staring up at him. "Daddy?" She asked. "What are you doing here? And what am I doing in my underwear?"

"I-I just came to visit," Klaus replied. "I thought you were your mother. Where is she?"

"On a date," Savannah replied. "I don't know when she'll be back." She turned to face the door. "How did I get here from the sofa? And what does you thinking I'm Mom have to do with anything?"

"Never mind," Klaus replied. "I'm gonna go scratch out my eyes now. Goodbye." He left and Savannah shut the door behind him and put her clothes back on. "What a weirdo," she said of her father. "What inspired Mom to dip into _that_ gene pool, I don't know."

* * *

When Kol brought Regina to Mikael's, she said to her grandfather, her voice full of excitement, "Are we gonna go kill vampires today?"

"He can't," Gwen said with a smile as she played with King while Mikael scowled. "He has to help me with the baby."

Regina scowled. "Well, that's kind of boring. Can't you let him off today, Aunt Gwen?"

"You know, I would love to," Gwen said. "But if he wants as much input in King's life as he feels he's entitled to, he has to stay here and do the work to help me raise him."

"Okay," Regina nodded. "So when does he get his off time?"

"Probably never," Mikael told Regina.

"Don't make me some sort of horrible task master," Gwen said. "We both have to work with this. I'm not doing it on my own."

Regina sat down. "So if Grandpa is helping with the baby, what am _I _supposed to do?"

"You can help us," Gwen suggested.

"No, thank you," Regina replied. "I'm not really a baby person. When Aunt Amy brought Vivi to stay with us, it drove me _nuts!"_

Mikael then said, "In light of that, I'm taking a reprieve for myself whether you like it or not, Gwendolyn. I'll be back later, though."

"Oh, all right," Gwen replied. "If you feel you must." They headed out and then Gwen whispered to King, "I don't really mind. It just means I'll have more influence over you. But we can't have your father thinking he's won. No, that wouldn't do at all."

* * *

The next day, Gwen dropped King off with Selina and then came back home to Mikael. "So," she said, magicking herself into some sexy black underwear. "What do you want to do until I go pick King up?"

"I don't know if I have to give an opinion," Mikael said, approaching her and taking her in his arms. "It seems like you already have an idea."

Gwen grinned and raised an eyebrow. "You bet I do," she said, and kissed him deep. He pushed her against the wall and unzipped his pants as he pushed her panties down around her ankles.

"Against the wall, Mr. Mikaelson?" Gwen asked as nipped her neck. "Not a patient man, are you?"

"It's your fault," Mikael replied. "You're too damn beautiful!"

Gwen chuckled. "I can't fault you for that opinion," she said. "Cause you're absolutely right!" She pulled off his shirt and ran her hands down his chest before he pulled her to him again, running his fingers through her hair as he felt himself slip inside her.

"It's good you can still get it up," Gwen whispered in his ear. "I thought we were gonna have to buy you some of those pills."

"Oh, bite your tongue!" Mikael cried. "I will hope to be daggered dead on top of you before I have to resort to that."

"It would be awkward to be frozen and stiff, wouldn't it?" Gwen replied as he slowly pulled out of her.

"It would be an interesting thing to have to explain," Mikael replied and she let out a shriek as he pushed into her.

"Now," she said when she got her breath. "About biting my tongue? It would be more pleasurable if you did it."

"You don't mind the pain, Gwendolyn?" He asked.

"I relish the pain," Gwen replied. "Unless you're afraid?"

"No," Mikael replied, and when they kissed again, and he felt her tongue slip between his teeth, he bit down and savored the taste of her spicy blood flowing down his throat as she clutched him, her nails making trails of blood down his back.


	4. The Real Thing

After the incident with Savannah, it took awhile before Klaus could bring himself to visit Amy's apartment again. But finally, he did it, after a week of no visits. He arrived at her door and put his ear against it, hearing what he thought was sobbing inside. Carefully, he opened the door and came in, turning on the light and seeing Amy (he was certain it was Amy this time) sitting on the sofa, wearing a bathrobe, and sobbing her eyes out while drinking a large glass of red wine.

"Amy?" He asked, approaching her without even trying to compel her first. She was vulnerable enough already and he didn't want to make it worse. "Are you all right?"

Upon seeing him, Amy just cried harder. "You've ruined me for other men," she cried. "I hope you're happy!"

He sat next to her, took the wine away from her, and took her in his arms. "I won't ask if you're all right," he said. "That would be a stupid question."

Amy just shook her head. "Do you realize how many times I've been dumped since I moved in here on my own?"

"I wouldn't want to," Klaus replied. "But I'm guessing it's not a small number?"

"Exactly," Amy sniffled. "There are a lot of jackasses in the world. They see Vivi and run the other way. You know, I even tried to take a page out of Selina's book and compelled one of them to stab himself to death with a knife, but that didn't make me feel any better."

He kissed her hair. "I'm really sorry," he said. "But remember, as bad as these other men are, they aren't as bad as me. They didn't murder you."

"Yeah, they didn't, did they?" Amy asked, suddenly realizing the way she was positioned and pulling away from Klaus. "And don't think that just because you came in here and caught me in a weak moment that I'm just gonna forgive you."

"I figured as much," Klaus replied. "So...how can I acquit myself?"

"I don't know," Amy replied. "Just give me time, for starters. After I've had some time, then we'll see."

"All right," Klaus replied. "I guess that's fair." He paused. "Am I correct in surmising that Vivi is asleep?"

"Yeah, she is," Amy nodded. "All through the night, thank goodness. Although if she wasn't, it would be a good distraction for me."

"I'm sorry you had to be like this," he told her. "I know that it's my fault."

"True," Amy nodded. "But maybe it'll be good for me. You never know." Then she paused. "I-I know I'll probably regret this, but...if you want to, maybe you could give me a kiss?"

Klaus paused, then slowly walked back to her, leaned down, and kissed her lightly on the cheek. "Goodnight, Amy," he told her, and then locked eyes with her. "We had a good night, but I still don't think you should know I was here. When you wake up tomorrow, you'll feel only like you had a good night's rest."

"All right," Amy replied. "Goodbye."

* * *

"I'm really sorry I dragged you here," Gwen apologized to Mikael as they settled down to drinks and dinner at Rebecca's while King lay in a carrier on the table. "If I'd known Selina was busy, I never would have made the plans. If you want to take King and run, you have my permission."

"What are we talking about?" Rebecca asked as she came out with bowls of salad.

"Nothing," Gwen smiled. "Just commenting on the lovely apartment."

"Glad you like it," Rebecca replied. They all sat down and with a smile, Rebecca asked the question Gwen had asked her so many times as she peered at her mother's uncomfortable face. "So, Mom...when are you and Mikael gonna get married?"

Gwen and Mikael looked at one another. "We really haven't given it much thought," Gwen said finally. "We'll just see how things go."

"Oh, come on now, Mother," Rebecca replied. "What am I supposed to say to the other daughters when they ask me to explain why I have a mother who isn't married even though she just had a baby?"

Gwen's eyes narrowed. "You're really enjoying yourself, aren't you?"

"Yes," Rebecca chuckled. "I am. Doesn't feel good, does it?"

"I'm gonna choose not to answer that," Gwen replied and zapped over the salad, putting some on her plate and then stabbing it repeatedly with a fork while glaring at her daughter, and when Rebecca came in carrying a pot of pasta, Gwen gave a zap, which caused Rebecca lose control of the pot and get tomato sauce all over her front.

"That was mature, Gwendolyn," Mikael whispered in her ear as Rebecca let out a shriek, swore at her mother, and stomped back into the kitchen.

"I know it really wasn't," Gwen replied. "But she was irritating me, and she _knows_ I don't put up with sass like that." But before Rebecca could return and retaliate, King started fussing, so Gwen took him and went to another part of the house.

When Rebecca returned, she looked at Mikael. "Where did my mother go?" She asked.

"She had to take care of King," Mikael replied. "I'm sure she'll be back in a little bit. But you and I haven't had much of a chance to chat, have we?"

"No," Rebecca replied. "But if you're gonna tell me that I need to apologize to her, you'll be disappointed."

"Oh, of course I wouldn't do that," Mikael replied. "I'm just as aware of your mother's annoying habits as you are, and also feel the occasional need to retaliate against her for them."

"Well, that makes me feel a tiny bit better," Rebecca replied. Then she paused, and, to Mikael's surprise, asked "Do you really like her? She's had terrible luck with men ever since my dad was killed and I don't want you to be just another guy who dumps her." She paused. "Although you're still here helping her raise King, so that must say _something_ about how you feel about her."

"Your mother has left a vivid impression on me," Mikael replied. "In a way no one has for years."

Rebecca chuckled. "She must have hit you pretty hard with that jewelry box when you first met. Did you ever check to see if you had a concussion."

"I was fine," Mikael replied. "There was no need for me to do something so ridiculous as go to the hospital."

"Well, good," Rebecca replied. "I'm glad my mother didn't wound you too badly."

"Rebecca, are you aware that Robbie has locked himself in his room and refuses to come out?" Gwen called. "How can you accept that?"

"He said he's not much of a baby person," Rebecca called. "And with him, sometimes it's easier to let him do what he wants then work through a fuss."

"This is exactly why the boy is a scoundrel," Gwen said, coming to sit back down at the table. "You raised him without a sense of boundaries and just let him do whatever he wanted cause you were too afraid to lay down the law."

"Oh, it's not as easy as you think," Rebecca replied. "Remember when you sent him to his room without dinner and he made you bald for a week? You refused to leave the house!"

"Well, it was worth it to give him a little discipline," Gwen replied stiffly, although there was a bit of color in her cheeks.

Mikael was trying not to laugh at Gwen's misfortune, but she saw him smirking anyway. "Here," she said, plunking King in his lap. "I'll go help Rebecca with dinner. You watch him. "And by the way," she made his glass of wine disappear and as he protested, she said, "I'm not letting you drink while you watch our child. You can have it back later."

Eventually, dinner was served and they ate in peace, although after it was all over and Gwen and Mikael made their way home with King, they made mental notes to wait a very long time before they went back to dinner at Rebecca's.

* * *

"I can't believe Jonathan called off the engagement," Susanna said as she and Savannah sat on the sofa in her and Marcel's apartment and passed a container of ice cream back and forth. "I'm just shocked! What was it that you did to piss him off?"

"Why do you assume it was me?" Savannah asked, looking hurt. "It could have been him!"

"Yeah, but it wasn't," Susanna replied. "So, what did you do?"

"Me and Mom are having problems and that just offends him so much that he's holding the ring hostage until I make up with her."

"What sort of problems?" Susanna asked.

"Well, I don't know if you know this, but Dad sort of murdered Mom," Savannah replied. "Fortunately, she had vampire blood in her system at the time, so she just turned after her death, and that sort of made her hate Dad, and I've been stuck in the middle. Plus, she took charge of Vivi, and since neither she, nor Aunt Margot have powers, and I do, I've been summoned to her apartment five million times a day so I can change Vivi back when her powers manifest themselves. And I don't even get a thank you!"

"You poor kid," Marcel said. "No appreciation from anyone at all. And you work so hard!"

"I know, right?" Savannah replied. Then her face changed. "Are you mocking me? I don't like being mocked."

"I'm not mocking you," Marcel promised.

"I would suggest we go out and do something," Susanna said. "But I wouldn't want your mom to be left in the cold if your sister turns into a giant bear or something."

"No, if you wanna go do something, I'm sure we can." Savannah then called Jonathan and let it ring until he answered.

"What is it that you want?" He asked after she identified herself.

"Susanna and I are gonna go out and shake things up a little," Savannah told him. "So would you be there for Mom in case Vivi turns into something and needs to be changed back?"

"Of course," Jonathan replied.

"You're not gonna scold me for abandoning my mother, are you?" She asked.

"No," Jonathan replied. "Although you've helped your mother grudgingly, you've still done it and deserve a break. Go have fun. I'll look out for your sister."

"Thank you!" Savannah replied. "I appreciate it!"

"You're actually thanking me?" Jonathan asked in amazement. "Showing manners? I had no idea!"

"And it's that attitude that makes me not want to thank you so often!" Savannah replied. "I'll see you at home later. It will probably be late."

"Fine," Jonathan replied. "Don't cause too much trouble."

Savannah laughed. "Oh, please," she said. "Susanna and I are two young witches with powers. How much trouble could we get into?"

"I'll probably go to sleep tonight and have nightmares about every possible scenario," Jonathan told her. "Be good, please?"

"Fine," Savannah replied. "We'll be good. I promise." She ended the call and told Susanna, "Jonathan says we have to be on good behavior."

"Well, then, it won't be _as_ fun, but it could be worse," Susanna said. "Right?"

"Yeah," Savannah sighed. "And maybe if I behave myself like he wants me to, I'll get the ring back sooner."

"Here's hoping," Susanna replied. "So...are we going out?"

"Yeah!" Savannah grinned. "Why shouldn't we? We're two young vampire-witch hybrids and the world is our oyster."

"You gonna find a way to entertain yourself while we're out?" Savannah asked Marcel.

"Oh, don't worry about me," Marcel replied. "I'll think of something. Good evening, ladies."

"Good evening yourself," Susanna said. "We'll come home in one piece, I swear." She gave Marcel a kiss and then they were both on their way to pain the town red, the first real fun Savannah had had in a _long_ time.


	5. Thrill Of The Chase

"I hope Savannah hasn't caused you too much trouble," Amy told Jonathan. "Are you beginning to feel like you proposed too quickly?"

"Of course not," Jonathan replied. "I've been aware of her volitile personality all my life and we both know that it's not going to change. There are times where she can act like a sane, loving person. I'll just have to hang on to those."

Amy nodded and sipped her tea, shifting Vivi in her lap with her free arm.

"I have to point out that Vivi seems to have a much more even temperament than Savannah did," Jonathan added. "Am I correct in this?"

"Yes," Amy nodded. "You are, and thank goodness. I don't think I could raise another baby like Savannah on my own."

"Are Kol and Margot still helping you?" Jonathan asked.

"Yes," Amy replied. "In fact, I had to pick her up from their house the other day because Selina and Elijah had some sort of emergency."

"What a shame," Jonathan said thoughtfully. Then he gave Amy a serious look. "Speaking of Elijah, his brother hasn't caused trouble for you, has he?"

"No," Amy shook her head. "Not that I know of. He's been very good about leaving Vivi and me alone." She paused. "But I...I might have to call him soon."

"What possible reason would you have to do that?" Jonathan asked.

"I have needs!" Amy said with feeling, sounding very much like Savannah. "If Klaus is the only guy who's gonna put up with me due to the fact that I have kids, then he's the one that I am going to have sex with. But that's all. He hasn't earned an emotional connection yet."

Jonathan sighed. "I always thought it was her father that made Savannah a sexual fanatic, but it seems like she inherited it from you."

Amy narrowed her eyes. "Well, not everyone is happy being celibate like you," she said. "Don't judge me!"

Jonathan sighed. "Like mother, like daughter. How amazing."

"Sorry," Amy apologized after taking a deep breath. "I'm just a little...tense."

"I understand," Jonathan replied. "And I also understand calling Klaus to ease your...tension. But just...please be careful?"

"Sure," Amy replied. "I will. I promise."

* * *

"Amy!" Klaus exclaimed when he opened the door. "If you're looking for Savannah, she's not here."

"I know," Amy replied and pushed him against the wall. "I'm not here for her. I'm here for you!"

"Really?" Klaus asked. "You're voluntarily choosing to see me? Is there something wrong with you?"

"Yes," Amy replied and kissed him. "I'm...I'm really lonely and you're the only one man enough to fix it, apparently."

"And when you say 'lonely', you mean...?" Klaus began.

"Horny, all right?" Amy yelled. "I'm horny, horny, horny! How many times do I have to say it before it's clear?"

"Only once," Klaus replied and dipped her. "I get the picture."

"So, you know what to do," Amy said. "Take off your pants and all that. It shouldn't take very long."

"Oh, well what's the rush?" Klaus asked. "I have nothing else to do today."

"Well, I'm still mad at you," Amy told him. "So this is purely about scratching my itch, not re-establishing a deep emotional connection. You understand, right?"

Klaus sighed. "I suppose," he said, and then, with a sigh, carried her off to their room where, without much ceremony, Amy got what she wanted, got out of bed, dressed again, and told Klaus she'd see him soon.

"Yeah," he said as he watched her retreating back while trying to ignore how empty he felt, this just adding to the bad feelings he'd already felt about his fight with Elijah and the results of that. "I bet you will."

* * *

"You seem happy," Margot observed as Amy came to pick up Vivi. "What happened?"

"I had sex," Amy replied.

"Did you?" Margot asked as she went to get her niece. "Can I ask with whom?"

Amy waited until Margot returned with Vivi in her arms before she said, "with Klaus, of course."

"Klaus?" Margot replied, so stunned that she nearly dropped her niece. "How could you?"

"Oh, don't worry," Amy replied. "It was nothing serious. I just took what I wanted and then I left. I was in control the whole time."

"And you're okay with that?" Margot asked in surprise. "That doesn't seem like you at all."

"Yeah, well, look what being like myself got me," Amy scoffed. "It got me killed is what. I was too soft. I need to toughen up."

"And you think using Klaus and then tossing him aside like a tissue until you need to use him again is the best way to do it?" Margot was still skeptical.

"I know you're concerned, but I have my reasons," Amy said. "Now, can I have my daughter, please?"

"Fine," Margot replied. "Take her. But I'm beginning to wonder if she'll be safe with you."

"She will," Amy replied. "I'm mad at Klaus. I'm not mad at her." She looked around. "Where's Kol?"

"Mikael and Gwen invited him and Regina to go out for ice cream," Margot replied. "I was invited too, but because of Vivi, I stayed behind. And she didn't turn into anything, thank goodness. That would have been hell to explain."

"You could have just called Savannah," Amy replied.

"I tried as soon as you left. But I didn't get an answer," Margot replied. "Maybe you should check on your other daughter."

"Oh, I'm sure she's fine, wherever she is," Amy replied. "I wouldn't worry about it if I were you."

* * *

"There's the bank," Savannah said as she and Susanna stood across the street from the Savings and Loan. "That's where I know Jonathan has my ring hidden. Now, when I count to three, we're gonna rush the place and get it out. And if you happen to grab handfuls of money along the way, there's no problem with that."

"Why are we doing this?" Susanna asked. "I thought you'd accepted Jonathan's reasons for taking your ring away. Honestly, it's your own fault."

"No, it's not!" Savannah replied. "It's his damn, stupid fault! Now come on!" She began marching toward the building while Susanna grudgingly followed behind her. They strode into the bank and Savannah produced a gun from behind her back. "Okay!" she cried. "Everybody down on your knees and do what I say, then no one will be hurt. I'm looking for a ring. One with a big, shiny ruby surrounded by diamonds in a gold setting. It's in a deposit box here. Whoever is in the position to give it to me, bring it now!" Then, although all the customers had done as she asked, she began shooting.

"What the hell are you doing?" Susanna asked, putting a hand on her arm. "Are you crazy?"

Savannah grinned at the small pile of bodies. "Do you really want me to answer that? They aren't working fast enough. Use your magic to break into the vault. You can keep all the money you get your hands on. I only want the ring."

"Fine!" Susanna called. "But this is only gonna make Jonathan hate you more. We can take all the money we want, but I really fear for your relationship with Jonathan if you take the ring."

"Oh, screw it!" Savannah cried. She dropped the gun and after some work, got her hands on the ring. She put it on her finger and was about to march out of the bank when what Susanna had said went through her mind. Jonathan probably _would_ hate her if she took it now. He might never want to see her again. And she couldn't deal with that. She loved him too much. She put the ring back in the box and returned it to the deposit box.

"I'm impressed," Susanna said, putting a hand on Savannah's shoulder. "That was very grown up of you."

"Oh, shit!" Savannah cried as the sound of sirens became clear. "The cops! You got some money, right? Cause I want an ice cream. And maybe some shoes."

"Yep, I got it," Susanna replied, holding up a bag of cash. "And we'll be able to buy a whole store full with what we've got!" They then disappeared just as the cops burst through the door, leaving the stunned witnesses with only an unbelievable story as an explanation of what had happened.

* * *

"Thank you for inviting me and Daddy out for ice cream," Regina said to Mikael as they all threw their dishes away. "It was fun to not have to share you with King for awhile."

"Oh, it's no problem," Gwen told her. "We may be parents, but we still have lives, you know. And watching King gives Selina something to do with herself since she's alone during the day."

"Alone?" Mikael said to Gwen. "My son never goes anywhere. What happened to him?"

"She told me they fought," Gwen replied. "He stormed off and she has no idea where he is."

"You should look for him!" Regina said to Kol. "Do it, Daddy. Please?"

"I don't know if there's reason to worry yet," Kol assured his daughter. "Selina and Elijah fight frequently and then make up. If this is just a situation like that, all they need is time before things get back to normal."

But then, Mikael's phone rang, and when he answered it, he heard a voice that he never wanted to hear again. "I have your son," he said. "And I'm going to make you regret what you did to my family so many years ago."

"Ronan!" Mikael breathed. "If you touch my son, I'll kill you! I did it once, I'll do it again!" But he was greeted with laughter and the sound of a call ending. Growling, Mikael stuck his phone back in his pocket.

"What's the matter?" Gwen asked.

"The man that my wife had an affair with has kidnapped Elijah," Mikael answered. "He says he has my son, and as Alexander is dead, Niklaus is of no consequence to me, and Kol is standing right here, Elijah is the only one left."

"Well, are you going to go find him?" Gwen asked. "Do you need my help?"

"You have powers," Mikael said. "Why not? And Kol, you help me find your brother, too."

"If I must," Kol replied.

"Can I come too?" Regina asked.

"No," Kol replied. "It could be dangerous. You have to stay with your mother."

Regina scrunched up her nose. "That's not fair. I've killed lots of people! I can handle it!"

"You're too young," Kol told her firmly. "We aren't going after humans, and I don't want you to be hurt. Do you understand?"

"Oh, all right," Regina pouted. "I'll stay behind with Mom as long as you promise to come back."

Kol heard this and hugged her. "All right, darling," he told her. "I'll come back. I promise."


	6. Two Sex Dates That Will Live In Infamy

"Oh, my god!" Amy cried when she opened the door in response to a knock and saw Klaus on the other side. "What are you doing here? I haven't decided we're having a sex date! That only happens when I say!"

"Well, I've decided to change the rules," Klaus replied. "I don't like being bossed around. And I only like being used like I was if it's my idea."

"What do you want?" Amy asked. "Don't try and talk your way out of this!"

"Oh, I would _never_," Klaus replied. "But here's the deal: for every hour I spend in your bed, I get an hour with Vivi. Do I make myself clear?"

"Don't I get a vote on this?" Amy asked.

"No," Klaus shook his head. "It's a statement, not something you get to vote on."

Amy glowered at him and then did something that she knew she would regret immediately after she did it: she gave him a shove.

"Seriously?" Klaus asked. "Do you really want to play that game with me?"

"I don't know," Amy replied. "When I did that, I wasn't really thinking."

"I could tell," Klaus replied. "Now, before we get involved in this, how long has it been since you've checked on Vivi?"

Amy's eyes widened as they heard the baby cry out. "Thanks for reminding me," she said, and made a run for their daughter's bedroom. She changed her, fed her, put her and some toys in her crib, and then ran to meet Klaus, who was in her bed, very naked and lying in wait for her to open the door.

"What took you so long?" He asked. "I thought I was going to have to come and get you!"

"You would have put pants on first, right?" Amy asked, trying to keep her eyes from wandering below his navel.

"Why should I?" Klaus asked. "Are you planning on having visitors who would be distressed by seeing me in my natural state?"

"Well, no," Amy replied. "Not really. But this is my home, and you'll maintain some level of decorum if you decide to wander about."

Klaus chuckled and got up from the bed, approaching her and putting his arms around her as he whispered in her ear, "You're so cute when you're trying to get me to obey. But do you really think it will work?"

Amy sighed as she felt his hand slip under her shirt and try to unhook her bra. "Seriously?" She asked. "Just...just straight to the business? You should know by now that I don't work that way. I have to be _wooed_."

"Oh, don't be ridiculous!" Klaus replied. "That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard. You're just being petty cause this whole thing was my idea!"

Now, Amy did give him a shove, and waited to see what he would do next. He sighed tiredly and pulled her to him. "I wouldn't hurt you again," he said. "But if you're trying to rile me up, you're doing a very good job." Then, he ripped her dress so that it fell to her feet and pulled her to him. Through the thin, lacy fabric of her panties, she could feel his bulge against her, and as they kissed deeply, he gently threaded his fingers through her hair. Then, when they pulled apart, he picked her up and tossed her gently onto her bed before following her and tugging her panties down. Then, he looked at the clock. "One hour," he said. "Then I'm seeing Vivi."

"But what if I'm not done yet?" Amy asked. "What if I want more?"

"Then you'll just have to be patient, won't you? And if Vivi is asleep, you'll have to be quiet."

Amy chuckled. "Do you think I'm stupid?" She asked. "I had Jonathan put a spell on the door so noise can trave in, but not out. We can be as loud as we want, but she won't hear a thing!"

"How clever," Klaus replied. "And what reasoning did you use to get him to do such a spell? Did you say that since you were planning on bringing gentleman friends to the apartment, you'd need it as some sort of defense?"

"No," Amy shook her head. "I told him I needed it because sometimes I like to watch TV at night, and for some reason the mute function doesn't work. He was more than happy to help."

"Well, any way," Klaus replied and took his phone out of his pants, setting it to beep after an hour. "The clock is ticking."

They went to bed and Amy had to clutch Klaus tight so she wouldn't fall off the bed, since he was moving with such speed.

"Leisurely sex isn't your thing, is it?" She asked. "For god's sake, harder! Harder!"

"I thought you'd be grateful that I wasn't being slow," Klaus replied. "The faster I go, the more sex we get in in an hour."

"Good point," Amy replied, panting as he pushed into her over and over. She then let out a cry as his thrusting pushed her head against the head board. This action made him pause. "Are you all right?" He asked. "Should we stop?"

Amy shut her eyes and put a hand to her forehead. "Maybe for a minute or two," she said. "But this doesn't count as part of our hour!"

Klaus gave her a much gentler kiss on her forehead. "I said to myself that I wasn't going to hurt you again," he told her. "I think...I think we should stop for a bit and you rest while I dress and go see Vivi. I can always come back."

"Do you promise?" Amy asked. "You're not just gonna see Vivi and then leave?"

"I promise," Klaus replied and then put his pants on before going to see his youngest daughter, who was lying in her crib and trying to get her foot in her mouth.

"What are you doing?" Klaus asked, staring down at her. "You're supposed to eat _other_ people, not yourself!"

Vivi saw him and let her foot go, staring up at him. He tickled her tummy and she burst out laughing. Then, he picked her up, but as she left the crib, she let out a cry, reaching for something that had obviously been left behind. Klaus looked over her shoulder and noticed a tiny stuffed frog toy near her pillow. "Is this what you're looking for?" He asked and handed it to her. She grasped it in her tiny fist and put one of its legs in her mouth, watching her father with her big blue eyes to see what he would do next. He put her on the floor and tossed some toy balls the length of the bedroom and watched wth amusement as she crawled after them. She could really move! After she'd gotten all of them, he tickled her tummy again and gave her a hug, putting her in her crib just in time to hear Amy's knock on the door. "Come in," he said.

"Everything okay in here?" Amy asked. "I came to check on Vivi, but if you're still up to it, it's been an hour."

"She seems fine," Klaus replied. "But if you're up for another hour, I suppose it wouldn't hurt. How's your head?"

"Fine," Amy replied. "Thanks." She came into the room as Klaus stepped out. "Take your time," he told her. "I'll be waiting for you."

* * *

"I have to say," Margot told Kol, "as weird as my sister being with your brother again after he murdered her is, I like that it finally means she's not gonna call me crying every five minutes."

"You were quite a hero," Kol replied. "You deserve some sort of reward for that. And I do too, for being forced to look for Elijah for nothing. All those hours wasted."

"Yeah," Margot replied. "I do. But what sort of reward?"

"Well, how long has it been since we've actually taken time for ourselves?" Kol asked. "I'm beginning to feel like a monk! I want to engage in the sort of behavior that got you knocked up in the first place!"

Margot chuckled. "And lucky for us, no matter how drunk we get, I won't end up pregnant this time! So, are we gonna drop Regina off with your dad? Or should we not because of King?"

Kol shrugged and went in search of his daughter, who was playing video games in the basement. "Your mom and I are thinking of going out tonight," he told her. "Do you want to go stay with your grandfather, or with Aunt Amy, or who?"

Regina shrugged. "I don't care. You can send me wherever."

"Don't sound so hurt," Kol replied. "We're not getting rid of you. We're just having a night out!"

"I get it," Regina turned. "I wasn't trying to be smart or make you feel guilty. I just really don't care who watches me. Or, here's a thought: I could watch myself!"

"You're nine!" Kol reminded her. "I don't know if I'm comfortable leaving you by yourself for a few more years at least."

"I'm a vampire!" Regina reminded her father impatiently. "If anyone comes to rob the house or kidnap me, I can kick their butt, or compel them to go away and not come back! What's the good of having all these vampire powers if I never get to experiment with them?"

"Hell, if you want to experiment with them, I'll help you," Kol replied. "But you're not staying by yourself yet. Now, where should I take you?"

Regina scoffed. "Just take me to Aunt Amy if she's around. It doesn't matter." Then she stomped off to the car while Kol called Amy to make sure she was available. When it was clear that she was, Kol dropped Regina off, stopped at the store for a couple bottles of wine, and then went back to Margot.

"How upset was Regina?" Margot asked. "Do you think she'll ever talk to us again?" She was wearing gauzy black negligee, barefoot, and posed seductively on the sofa.

"Oh, she'll get over it," Kol assured her. "Now, no more mentioning the 'R' word. This is adult time. I bought two bottles of wine. How do you want to use them? Shots?"

Margot shook her head, traipsing toward him and undoing his pants, grinning as they fell to the floor. "We always do that," she said. "I wanna do something else." She grabbed one of the bottles of wine, and to Kol's amazement, consumed the whole thing.

"Were you planning on sharing that?" He asked, and she tried to get to her feet, but fell back on the floor, giggling. "That was my bottle, silly!" she slurred. "Get your own."

"Ah, so the game we're playing is 'get as drunk as possible and see what happens'. All right, whatever," Kol replied. He consumed the other bottle and soon they were both naked and rolling around on the floor. Then, Margot finally managed to get to her feet. "Let's play tag," she said and tapped him on the shoulder. "You're it!" She took a few steps, Kol following close behind her, his eyes glued on her bare bottom. Then, she toppled, landing on the tile.

"You fell," Kol pointed out.

"I know," Margot replied, lying on her side on the floor. "This is very cold."

Kol undressed the rest of the way, then lay down beside her. "It _is_ very cold," he said. "I'm cold." He pulled her up to a sitting position and put his arms around her. "Make me warm."

"All right," she said, and kissed him. Soon, they were all over each other until they finally fell asleep, not waking up again until the next morning.

* * *

"Shit!" Margot cried as she struggled to get to her feet the next morning. Her head was pounding and she just hoped that there was still some alcohol left in the bottles so she could get rid of her hangover and take Regina to school. It was a miracle when she found some wine in the bottle Kol had drunk from. She drank it and felt her headache ease enough so that she could make her way to Amy's to pick up Regina. But en route, she got pulled over by a police officer for speeding, and became belligerent, punching him in the gut and trying to run away. Finally, she was cuffed, thrown in the back of a cop car, and driven to the station.

"We got a drunk and disorderly here," The policeman told the others as they led her inside. "Help me get her into her cell, would you?"

"You can't hold me here!" Margot yelled. "Give me my fucking phone call!"

"Take it," the officer replied. "No one is stopping you."

She was taken to a room with a phone and ordered to sit in a chair while an officer watched her talk. She decided to call Amy, to tell her that she wouldn't be able to take Regina to school.

"Oh, don't worry about that," Amy said. "I figured you and Kol had a busy night, so I just took her."

"It's not just that," Margot replied. "You have to play big sister and come down to the police station. They arrested me and want to throw me in jail." She chuckled. "Apparently, I still have alcohol on my breath. Isn't that funny?"

"No," Amy sighed. "Sit tight. I'll be there in a little bit."

"Thank you," Margot said.

"You're welcome," Amy replied.

* * *

Gwen was home alone with King while Mikael and his sons continued to look for Elijah. She wished that he'd allowed her to come with him. She could have been of some help.

"Your father can be a pain in the ass sometimes," she told her son, holding on to his hand. "But despite that, somehow I like him. And with you around, he won't leave me. At least not permanently, although he's _clearly_ okay with leaving me for a bit."

Just then, the door bell rang and Gwen took King and eagerly went to answer it, less than pleased when it was Rebecca and not Mikael.

"Oh, it's you," she scowled at her daughter. "Were you wanting to come in?"

"Yes," Rebecca replied, taking her half-brother from her mother's arms and giving him a kiss. "I just came to see King, but if you're busy..."

"Of course I'm not busy!" Gwen snapped. "With Mikael gone, what's there for me to do, other than look after our son? And if you want to do that, I have nothing! You know, he's been gone an awfully long time without a word for me. What if he's not looking for Elijah at all? What if he's cheating on me?"

Rebecca laughed as she played with King's bare feet. "What? He wouldn't do that!"

"How can you be sure?" Gwen asked. "He's been around a long time. Who's to say he doesn't have a million girlfriends he's not told me about?"

"I still think you're being silly," Rebecca replied. Just then, the phone rang. Gwen went to check it, and the caller id showed a name Gwen didn't know before: Victoria Vaughn.

"Who in the world is that?" Rebecca asked.

"I don't know!" Gwen said. "I'll let the machine get it. But her blood froze when Victoria's voice sounded from the machine. "Mikael? It's Victoria Vaughn. I know it's been years and I hope this is still the right number for you. If it is, I just want to let you know that I'm in town. I thought that maybe we could have dinner? Maybe see a foreign film? I remember how you used to like taking me to those, especially since I never knew what anyone was saying and you'd make the most hysterical translations! Anyway, call me. My number is 364-2104. Bye!"

The machine beeped and Gwen turned toward Rebecca. The look on their mother's face made Rebecca clutch her brother a little tighter. Gwen stood up and strode over to the phone, her finger poised over the delete button. "This is exactly what I was talking about," she growled. "See?"

"Don't delete the message," Rebecca advised. "It could be nothing. He could say that you're together and that he doesn't want to see her. Hiding something like that won't help your relationship."

"I don't care!" Gwen replied.

"If you delete it, I'll still tell him what the message was," Rebecca countered. "So you might as well keep it."

"Fine," Gwen replied. "But I'm gonna call him and ask just who the hell this Victoria Vaughn is! I'm not just gonna sit around and wait."

"I didn't think you'd do that," Rebecca said. "I know you too well."

* * *

Elsewhere, Jonathan was also struggling with a difficult partner. "I can't believe you convinced Susanna to help you rob a bank!" He told Savannah. "Did you think I wouldn't find out?"

"Well, I figured you'd find out _somehow_," Savannah replied, pushing her red hair from her eyes. "You always do. How are you gonna punish me?"

"Well, you're not getting your ring back any sooner, that's for sure," Jonathan replied. "And it appears I need to watch you every minute, so you don't get into trouble. Now, I didn't want to have to do this, but it appears I must."

"Do what?" Savannah replied.

"Go to our room," Jonathan pointed.

Savannah scoffed. "What am I, five? What sort of punishment is that?"

"Just go," Jonathan replied. "I'll join you in a few minutes."

Savannah's eyebrow went up. "You'll join me in the bedroom? As in...sex?"

"Yes, yes," Jonathan sighed. "Though it pains me greatly to disrupt my plans, it seems to be the only way to keep you out of trouble."

But Savannah didn't hear the rest of the sentence as she zipped to the bedroom in the middle of it. Jonathan followed at a much slower pace and when he shut the bedroom door behind him, he was not surprised to find her undressed already. "What kept you?" She asked. His eyes roamed over her bare body, and he began to undress, taking slow steps toward the bed. When he finally joined her and took her in his arms, kissing her deeply, she laughed. "You're glad we're doing this, admit it. You don't give a crap about your plans. That was just an attempt to keep me moral and it failed. But clearly my efforts to corrupt you worked, so I think we both win here."

Jonathan put a finger to her lips. "The only condition of this is that you don't speak. You may scream because you won't be able to help yourself, but you cannot speak."

Savannah nodded and nibbled on his ear, and as he slipped inside her, she knew he was right, smug bastard that he was. She wouldn't have been able to keep quiet if she'd tried.


	7. Something To Talk About

"You look exhausted," Klaus remarked when he arrived at Amy's. "Not gonna be up for any fun today?"

"That's what I _need_," Amy replied, stretching out on the sofa. "Margot got arrested for being drunk and disorderly, remember? I had to get her out of jail. Five bucks says your brother had something to do with that."

"I don't doubt it," Klaus replied, his hand sneaking under Amy's shirt and sliding down her bare back, giving her shivers.

"That feels nice," Amy said.

"Good," Klaus replied.

"Can I just...I'm really surprised how well Vivi's taken to you," Amy remarked. "Considering you two have never met before."

"What can I say?" Klaus shrugged. "Children_ love _me."

Amy gave him a long look. "Why do I feel there's something I don't know?"

"I don't know," Klaus replied. "I don't live in your brain. I can't read your thoughts. So, is Margot out of jail now?"

"Of course she is," Amy replied. "I wanted her to show responsibility for what she did and actually go to court, but Kol just compelled them to forget that she'd ever been there. She won't learn if he keeps doing that!"

"Kids today," Klaus replied. "No respect for boundaries or the law or anything."

"Yeah, and to add to that, I think I saw a story about Savannah robbing a bank on the news," Amy sighed. "Even though they didn't say it was her outright, and I doubt they're gonna catch her. This is what happens when I let her go off by herself."

Klaus raised an eyebrow. "So you don't think Putnam is doing an adequate job of looking after her?"

"Well, it's like Theodore Roosevelt said about his daughter, Alice," Amy replied. "'I can be president, or I can control Alice. I cannot do both'. Savannah is the same way. You can't expect Jonathan to be able to control her every minute _and_ have a life of his own." She paused. "Wait a minute. Why are we talking about this? This is supposed to be sex time!"

"Don't look at me," Klaus raised his hands. "It was _you_ who started the conversation."

Amy gave him a playful shove and kissed him. "I'm still mad at you for murdering me, you know," she said. "Just cause we have sex doesn't change that."

"I understand," Klaus replied. "Please feel free to take out your anger on me. I probably deserve it."

"'Probably'?" Amy repeated, and then kissed him deep while ripping off his shirt. "There is no 'probably'. You _do_ deserve every kick in the ass that I give you!"

"Yes, but think about this," Klaus replied as he removed his pants. "If you had just spoken to me about your fears that I had a wandering eye instead of cheating on me, I wouldn't have felt threatened enough to murder you in the first place!"

"Let's just say we both did wrong and leave it at that," Amy replied and pushed him against the wall. "And before you ask, I've already checked on Vivi and she's fine."

"All right, then," Klaus replied, unzipping his pants as he lifted Amy's skirt. "That's good!"

Their hour ended just in time for Vivi to declare via a loud yell that she wanted to be let out of her room. "I guess that's your cue," Amy told Klaus, pushing him gently toward the door.

"What are you shoving for?" Klaus asked. "And I feel you giving me a squeeze back there."

"Well, your ass looks so firm that I had to see if it was real or not," Amy replied. "Now, go!"

Klaus chuckled and went to see Vivi, and while they were cuddling, he heard the doorbell ring. Curious, and with Vivi in hand, he went to answer the door and saw someone he hadn't seen in a bit.

"Hi, Grandpa!" Adrian's younger daughter Felicity greeted him while Stefan just smirked at him behind her. "I know it's been a long time and I haven't called. but Dad said it would be good for me to come and see you."

"And I came cause I was bored and didn't have anything else to do," Stefan added.

"Lissy?" Klaus asked, wide-eyed. "And Stefan? Well, this is a surprise."

"What is also a surprise is that you're holding onto yet another baby," Stefan replied, then he rumpled Lissy's hair. "I thought that after this one and Savannah, you'd be done."

"Well, I thought so too," Klaus replied with a sigh. "But things happen. This one's name is Vivi." He paused. "How did you know I was here?"

"Well, we went to your house first, and Dad told us where you were," Lissy replied. She was very close to her grandfather, who'd raised her for several years while her parents were fighting. She even had a soft spot for Amy, who was like an aunt to her. "He says you're acting crazy."

"Actually, I'm getting better now," Klaus replied. "But you can come in anyway. I'm sure Amy won't mind."

"Why are you and Amy living in separate places?" Felicity asked. "Are you fighting?"

"Well, she cheated on me and I killed her and then she became a vampire, so we're sort of...in a weird limbo right now," Klaus replied.

"Wow, I tortured her parents, you killed her...you wouldn't think we like her very much, but we do," Felicity mused dryly, her blue eyes sparkling.

"Klaus, who was at the door?" Amy asked, appearing a few seconds later.

"I don't have to tell you," Klaus replied, gesturing at Felicity and Stefan. "Look for yourself."

"Remember me?" Felicity asked, coming to hug her. "Well, I mean, of course you do. Who would forget the person who murdered their parents?"

"Well, now that I've had time to think about it, it could have been worse," Amy replied, giving her a hug. "I mean, murder in general is bad, of course, but being free from my parents allowed me to do so much more. Thus, I guess, in a way, you did me a favor." She sat down. "What brings you two here?"

"Adrian told them to come check up on me," Klaus replied. "Apparently, I'm becoming even too much for my own son to handle."

"You don't seem so bad to me," Felicity replied.

"I think we should go out and do something," Stefan added. Then he looked at Amy. "Or is he on baby duty tonight?"

"Oh, he doesn't live with me," Amy replied. "He just visits sometimes. So as far as I'm concerned, he can do whatever he wants."

"Sure, we can get a drink," Klaus told Stefan.

"You won't bring the baby with you, will you?" Stefan asked.

"No, don't worry," Amy replied. "I wouldn't let him."

"Good," Stefan replied. "It's been awhile since I've seen my brother in arms and I don't want any little girls ruining it."

"What about me?" Felicity asked. "Would _I _ruin it?"

"You can hang out with me and Savannah tonight," Amy offered. "She hasn't wanted to spend a lot of time with me lately, but she's put her fiance through a lot, and I'm gonna try and get her to give him a break."

"Okay," Felicity replied. "I guess I can do that. Thanks."

"You're welcome," Amy replied. "I think it'll be fun."

* * *

"Mom wants me to come to the apartment tonight so we can bond," Savannah told Jonathan. "I don't know if I should go or not."

"Why wouldn't you?" Jonathan asked. "If it's because of that ridiculous grudge you're holding against her, grow up!"

"She cheated on my dad!" Savannah cried. "Am I just supposed to forget that?"

"Well, I'm sure she feels bad, and if you go to the apartment tonight and speak with her, she'll be more than willing to make amends," Jonathan replied. "Plus, if you talk to her, have a good, thorough conversation, you'll get your ring back."

"There _is_ that," Savannah replied. "I really _do_ want my ring back."

"And I need some peace and quiet after this bank robbery mess of yours," Jonathan added. "So...it's decided, then?"

"Fine," Savannah rolled her eyes. "I'll go to Mom's apartment."

"Good girl," Jonathan replied. "And I'll accompany you, at least inside...just to make sure you don't leave at the last minute."

"Fine," Savannah replied. "Whatever."

* * *

"Savannah!" Amy cried, hugging her daughter at the moment the door opened. She squeezed hard, and the smell of her perfume made Savannah sneeze. "I'm so glad you could make it!"

"I do want I can," Savannah replied, half-heartedly. She went inside and saw nail polish and stuff all set up. "What's going on?" She asked.

"I thought we could do mani-pedis and talk!" Amy replied. "Won't that be fun? And Felicity is visiting. You haven't seen her since you were real little, so you probably don't remember her, but she'll be glad to see you."

"You're right," Savannah replied. "I _don't_ remember her at all. Who is she again?"

"Klaus' granddaughter," Amy replied. Then she turned back to Jonathan. "Don't feel like you have to stay," she said. "I mean, you can if you want to, but I don't think you'd enjoy yourself."

"Oh, don't worry about me," Jonathan replied. "I just came to make sure she actually got inside the door. I've decided to hold her ring until the two of you talk about what happened between you and her father."

"I applaud your efforts at taking a stand against her," Amy replied. "I'm very pleased. And I've wanted to speak to her about that too. I hope we can do it tonight."

"I wish you luck," Jonathan replied. "And would you call me when you're done so I can come escort her home?"

"Of course," Amy replied. "Enjoy your quiet evening, Jonathan."

"I will," he assured her. "Trust me."

* * *

After all the nail panting had been done, and Felicity had gone back to Stefan, Amy said to Savannah, "I think we should talk now."

"All right, we'll talk," Savannah nodded. "I'm pissed you cheated on Dad. Why didn't you just _talk_ to him?"

"I-I don't know," Amy replied. "I guess I was afraid of what he would tell me. Somehow, I just assumed he wanted to be with Rebecca cause if he cheated on your Aunt Selina (who he _loved_), it would stand to reason that he'd cheat on me too, and I love your dad so much that I couldn't stand how much that would hurt."

"So you cheated on him before he could cheat on you," Savannah nodded. "And did you _know_ when you were with Robbie that what you were doing was a bad idea? That at some point, Dad would probably find out, and it wouldn't end well for you?"

"Yes, and that's why I took Robbie's blood the day I told him," Amy replied. "Cause I knew I'd need it. You understand why I moved away from your father, right?"

"Yeah, I guess," Savannah sighed. "But since you let him come here, something obviously changed."

"Don't look into it too much," Amy cautioned. "I'm only letting your dad come here so he can see your sister and cause I haven't found any other men."

"And you still _like_ him!" Savannah grinned. "You still like Dad!"

"Maybe I do," Amy replied. "But that doesn't mean I forgive him."

"I can make you forget he ever killed you." Savannah offered. "Then things would be easier between the two of you. Do you want that?"

"No, thank you," Amy replied. "We're gonna work through this like adults." She paused and looked at her daughter. "I know you side more with your dad about this whole mess, but...you still like me, right?"

Savannah nodded. "Yeah. Which is kind of why it sucks that the only reason why you ever call me to come see you is when Vivi's magic has turned her into a goat or a platypus or whatever. Stop treating me like I'm Vivi's servant. I hate it!"

Amy put a hand on her arm. "Well, I'll try to lower the number of times I call you to help with Vivi if you promise to let me borrow Jonathan sometimes. Cause he's the only other person I can think of with powers, since your aunt and I don't have ours anymore."

"Done," Savannah nodded. "And speaking of Aunt Margot, why didn't you invite her tonight? I thought you'd want to keep an extra close eye on her."

"Well, she assured me that she'd stay out of trouble," Amy replied. "Cause she and your uncle were staying in tonight. But doing what, I can't imagine."

* * *

"You can open your eyes now, darling," Kol's voice said. Margot opened her eyes and laughed and clapped at the sight of her husband, who was clad in a policeman's costume. "Are you supposed to be a stripper?" She asked. "Cause that would be a lot more fun than the _other_ cop who cuffed me!"

Kol removed his hat and put it on her head before cuffing her to the bed and stripping.

"We can't just do this," Margot said as he climbed on the bed and started kissing her neck.

"Why not?" Kol asked.

"Cause you didn't read me my rights!" Margot chided. "What kind of a cop _are_ you?"

"A very handsome one, if I do say so myself," Kol replied and rubbed her. "One of those rebel cops who do what I want...like Dirty Harry."

"What a suitable nickname," Margot smiled as Kol kissed her again. "Just how dirty _are_ you?"

"Very," Kol replied and kissed her. "Let me show you." She then let out a shriek as he went inside her over and over again.

* * *

"What is it now, Gwendolyn?" Mikael asked impatiently when she called. "I'm very busy at the moment. If it's a problem with King, I'm sure you can handle it yourself!"

"It is _not_ a problem with King!" Gwen snapped. "He's fine. But just _who_ is Victoria Vaughn? She called and she wants to see you."

"Victoria Vaughn?" Mikael chuckled. "I haven't thought of her in _years._ She's one of my most adept converts."

"Well, I have her number. You call her and tell her you can't see her cause you have a son to take care of," Gwen demanded.

"Oh, my dear," Mikael sighed. "I would never stray from you, but I refuse to stop having my own life just because you're afraid. I will call Victoria myself and tell her that I'm going to see her. You may come along if you wish."

"You bet I will," Gwen replied. "When are you coming home?"

"I'm looking for my son!" Mikael reminded her. "I don't know how long that will take!"

"Surely there are other people looking too!" Gwen cried. "They could survive without you for few days."

"I don't know," Mikael replied.

"You come home, or I'm gonna call your precious Victoria, meet her, and kill her myself before you have a chance to say goodbye!" Gwen cried and dramatically ended the call without waiting to hear how Mikael would respond.

* * *

"I'm here, Gwendolyn!" Mikael called the next day. "Are you happy now?"

"Will you shhh!" Gwen said, waving her hand. "You're gonna wake King and it took me _forever_ to get him to sleep!"

"Well, how was_ I _supposed to know that?" Mikael whispered back. He followed her into the living room and, while she watched, called Victoria. "Victoria?" He said when she answered. "How are you?"

"Fine," Victoria replied. "It's been awhile, hasn't it?"

"It has," Mikael agreed. "A lot longer than it should have been because of me."

"Oh, I'm sure you had your reasons," Victoria replied. "Who was that woman who answered the first time I called?"

"That's Gwendolyn," Mikael replied. "She's the mother of my son. And she lives with me."

"Oh, I guess you won't be wanting to come to dinner with me, then," Victoria said. "I understand."

"Nonsense!" Mikael replied. "I can meet you for dinner, Victoria. "Gwendolyn doesn't mind-"

"Yes, she does!" Gwen snatched the phone away and shouted into it.

"You didn't let me finish," Mikael said as he took the phone back and said to a scarred Victoria, "Gwendolyn doesn't mind us going to dinner if she's allowed to come too. Is that all right?"

"S-sure," Victoria got out. I don't see why not. Would Saturday be all right?"

"Of course," Mikael replied. "See you on Saturday, Victoria."


	8. Playing Well With Others

"Would you kill me if I told you we were so close to having Savannah and Jonathan's wedding postponed?" Amy asked Klaus. "I know that's not something you were looking forward to."

"What would have stopped it?" Klaus asked. "And who made sure it would happen again?"

"Me, apparently," Amy replied. "Jonathan took Savannah's ring until she and I had a talk about what happened between you and me, and the other night, we did."

"So you and I will be going together, I assume?" Klaus asked. "That is, unless you ask someone else? Although if I have to endure something as painful as my daughter's wedding to my wife's ex-fiance, I'd much prefer to have you with me."

"Oh, I'll probably be going with you," Amy replied. "I don't know who else I would go with."

"Good," Klaus sighed, his voice full of relief. "So...what do you want to do now?"

Amy shrugged. "I don't know. What do_ you_ think we should do?"

"Well, I usually have one thing on my mind, and you should know what that is," Klaus grinned.

Amy rolled her eyes. "Of course it's that. Why didn't I know?" She paused. "I think we should go out, you know? Get some fresh air. See people. Don't you want to?"

Klaus whined like a child. "Do we _have_ to?"

"Yes," Amy replied, grabbing his hand to pull him up off the sofa, and moving out of the way when he tried to give her a kiss. "Come and help me get Vivi's things. We can _all_ go!"

"I don't see what's so wonderful about just walking around outside," Klaus replied. "What's the point?"

"To enjoy nature," Amy replied as Klaus picked Vivi up. "Come on, it will be fun!"

Klaus looked down at his daughter. "You don't want to go outside with all the weather and the bugs and the horrible people, do you?" But he was dismayed to see her smile when Amy pulled her little coat out of the closet.

"See?" Amy grinned. "I win. Let's go."

* * *

But to appease Klaus, the didn't spend much time outside. Instead, Amy made a call to Selina and asked if they could all come over.

"Sure," Selina replied. "Come on over! There's something that Elijah wants to tell Klaus, anyway."

Amy ended the call and said to Klaus, "we're going to see your brother. Selina said there's something he wants to tell you."

"Why do you always pick the worst possible things for us to do?" Klaus asked.

"Well, what would _you_ like to do?" Amy asked. "And don't say 'Go drinking'. I'm not taking Vivi to a bar."

"You know, if we went to Roxie's, she'd let her in. In fact, when Roxie's daughter Addie was just a little thing, Roxie brought her to the bar and she ran around and had a great time!" Klaus smiled wide and waited.

"If you wanna go out drinking, I'm not saying you can't," Amy replied. "But we're gonna go see your brother first. No arguments."

"You know, I usually don't take talk like that from new vampires like you," Klaus told her.

"Well then why are you taking it now?" Amy asked. "Cause you know I'm right?"

"Maybe," Klaus grumbled. "I guess."

They then walked all the way to Selina and Elijah's and knocked on the door, which Selina answered immediately.

"You weren't standing on the other side of the door, were you?" Amy asked her as they came inside.

"No," Selina replied. "But I was close." She eyed Klaus suspiciously and then looked back at Amy. "You're here of your own free will, right? He didn't make you come by compulsion?"

"Oh, please, Selina!" Klaus cried. "I rarely choose to visit my brother on my own. You should know me better than that!"

"And why would you think he'd compel me?" Amy asked. "He respects me too much to do that, right?"

Klaus nodded, not meeting Selina's eye. He'd confessed about his compulsion of Amy during one of their earlier meetings. She'd expressed disapproval, but had agreed that he should be the one to tell Amy what he'd done.

"Well, with the fight you two just had, you can't blame me for checking," Selina defended herself. "So, what fixed things?"

"The realization that she'd never find a better man than me and my sincere apology," Klaus replied.

"That's it?" Selina asked, raising an eyebrow at Amy.

"Well, is that how it was when you forgave him for pushing you down the stairs and breaking all your limbs?" Amy asked.

"Touche," Selina replied. "Why don't you all come and sit down? Elijah will be along in a minute."

They sat and they waited while Selina played with Vivi. Finally, Elijah emerged looking very rumpled.

"What's wrong with you, brother?" Klaus asked, a smirk on his lips. "You look like hell."

"Perhaps," Elijah replied. "But it's worth it to maintain control over myself."

"What do you mean?" Klaus asked.

"Have you talked to your father recently?" Elijah asked.

"Ronan?" Klaus nodded. "We've chatted a bit when I've stopped by Roxie's for a drink. Why?"

"Did he, in the time that you saw him, mention anything about kidnapping me and introducing the werewolf mechanism into my system?" Elijah asked, his voice tight.

"He did what?" Klaus asked, his eyes wide.

"Ronan kidnapped me," Elijah repeated. "Him and a bunch of his baboon cronies took me and tied me up, and then this warlock put a spell on me so that I couldn't move while one of them bit me! Ronan said he was doing it as revenge against Father. I'm not going to relish telling him."

"So you're like me now?" Klaus brightened. "Well, that's a fun development."

"It most certainly is not!" Elijah replied. "But on the plus side, it now makes that hold you have Selina cause you're both werewolves mean nothing!"

"Well, I hope so," Klaus replied. "It's exhausting having you think that I'm gonna steal your wife all the time when I'm in a perfectly lovely relationship of my own. Well, except when Amy makes me go outside. Or visit people. I don't really like it so much then," he finished.

Elijah then looked deflated. He hadn't gotten the sort of answer he was hoping for. He's wanted something bigger. Then, he smiled. "Would you like to come be with me and Selina on the next full moon?" He asked.

"Sure, why not?" Klaus replied. "If Adrian and Gregory can handle it, I think we can."

"See?" Selina smiled. "Isn't it nice that everyone is getting along?"

Amy then looked down at Vivi, who was squirming in her lap and reaching for her uncle. Amy smiled and plunked her down in a surprised Elijah's lap, where she immediately cuddled against him.

"Well, this is strange," Klaus said.

"Why?" Elijah asked. "Our children can like both of us. Lucy did. And Laura. And Adrian. It doesn't happen to every one of them, but it can. Are you worried I'm gonna lure her away from you?"

"No," Klaus replied. "If she's comfortable with you, that's probably a good thing. I've decided that I want her to grow up to be good, not as much like me as Savannah is. Your influence could help with that. Just like it did with Lucy. And Adrian."

"Well, I'm touched," Elijah replied. "Really."

"Yes, yes, yes," Klaus brushed the praise aside. "No need to dwell on it now."

There was a silence, and then Selina looked at Amy. "You two wanna stay for lunch?"

Amy looked at Klaus. "Do _you_ want to? She asked.

"Why not?" Klaus asked. "After all, we _did_ come all this way. And I wouldn't want it to be for nothing."

* * *

"I can't believe we have to do this," Gwen grumbled as she and Mikael parked in front of the Italian restaurant where Mikael had arranged for them to meet Victoria. "I'm not looking forward to it."

"Well, _you_ were the one who got so insane with jealousy that you just _had_ to come," Mikael replied. "So any suffering you feel is your own fault. Kindly keep it to yourself and be nice."

"Why should I be nice?" Gwen asked. "What if she tries to get her grubby hands all over you? It's disgusting!"

"Well, who can blame her?" Mikael replied. "I _am_ quite a catch!"

"Oh, shut up!" Gwen replied. "I'll be ordering the wine. If you want me to be civil, I'll need lots of it."

Mikael rolled his eyes and let her go ahead of him into the restaurant, where they met Victoria, a tall, short-haired brunette in a black dress and matching heels, who stood up from the table where she was already sitting and gave Mikael a hug that in Gwen's mind, lasted a little too long. When she cleared her throat, Victoria looked at her over Mikael's shoulder.

"Oh, hello," she said. "You must be Gwendolyn."

"_He's_ the only one allowed to call me that," Gwen replied, narrowing her eyes. "Get your grubby paws off him and sit down!"

Victoria sat, but a lot slower than Gwen would have liked. When Gwen ordered the wine, she glared at Victoria and told the server to keep it coming.

When everyone had their wine, Victoria got up to go to the bathroom, which caused Gwen to smirk. "Wrong move," she whispered. "Bad idea."

"What are you plotting, Gwendolyn?" Mikael asked.

"Oh, I'm not plotting anything," Gwen replied. "I'm just teaching Victoria a lesson about leaving your drink unattended around people who hate you. And if you tell her what I'm doing..."

"Put the glass down, Gwendolyn," Mikael interrupted.

But Gwen didn't listen. She gave Mikael a zap so he couldn't speak, and then muttered something over the glass before putting it back in its' place.

When Victoria returned, she noticed Mikael making frantic thrashing motions and reaching for her drink, which Gwen had moved out of his grasp. And she had her hand squeezing his thigh to prevent him from getting up. "What's wrong with him?" Victoria asked.

"I think he's coming down with something, poor thing," Gwen replied, then stomped on Mikael's foot to stop his thrashing. He mouthed a bad word or two as Victoria drank her wine, and then coughed and gagged as blood and teeth tumbled from her mouth and into the glass.

"Oh, my god!" Victoria cried as her hand went over her mouth, followed by a muffled, "What's happening to me?"

"Oh, well, I don't know!" Gwen replied. "But you shouldn't be here! You should go see a dentist right away."

"Yes," Victoria replied before standing up and running away without even saying goodbye.

Once she was gone, Gwen removed her hand from Mikael's leg and gave him his voice back.

"That was a bit harsh, Gwendolyn," Mikael chided. "I can't believe you couldn't last more than two seconds without misbehaving."

"Well, look at it this way," Gwen told him. "Now we can have dinner all to ourselves without some third wheel being in the way. That's a good thing, right?"

"In a way, yes," Mikael replied. "I suppose."

Gwen held up her wine glass. "Cheers?"

"Yes," Mikael clinked his glass against hers. "Cheers."

* * *

Later that night, when they were in bed, Gwen rolled over to face him. "If you want me to apologize for what I did to Victoria, I'm not going to," she said.

"I wasn't expecting it, so I wouldn't _dream_ of asking you," Mikael replied. "But while I can't help but be perturbed at your methods, your reasoning behind what you did, well...it's touching."

"Well, I should hope so!" Gwen replied. "I was doing you a big favor! Who would you like better? I who am great and powerful and experienced, or some wimpy newbie vampire?"

"I did _not_ invite Victoria (who's not strictly new) to dinner in hopes of putting any moves on her," Mikael replied. "Our relationship was never in any danger."

"Then remember that if it ever is, I'll fight for you," Gwen replied.

"For King's sake, I'm guessing?" Mikael asked.

"No, for _mine!"_ Gwen said. "King's too, but mostly mine. The second you asked me to move in with you, you were stuck with me and that's that."

Mikael thought a moment. "Well, I've been stuck in worse situations," he replied with a grin as Gwen's jaw dropped in anger. Then, before she could protest, he grabbed her and put his mouth on hers in a deep, lingering kiss.


	9. Wedding Plans, Part One

"I can't believe my son," Mikael fumed at Gwen. "He's a werewolf, for fuck's sake, Gwendolyn! A werewolf!"

"Well, yes, I heard that," Gwen replied. "But it doesn't sound like it was his fault. You really can't blame him." She wanted to say more about how his son's becoming a werewolf was actually more Mikael's fault than Elijah's, but she chose not to. "What do you say we do something to take your mind off of this?" She asked instead. "What do you say we, um...what do you say we get married?"

Mikael paused. "Why would you want to marry me?"

"Why not?" Gwen asked. "I live with you. We have a child. You need a distraction from all this business with Elijah. We should do it."

Mikael shrugged. "I suppose that's as good a reason as any."

"Good!" Gwen smiled. "And what do you say we have the wedding on Halloween?"

Mikael's eyes widened. "But isn't that less than a month away?"

"Well, yes," Gwen nodded. "Don't tell me you're getting cold feet when I've only just asked."

"Of course I'm not," Mikael replied. "I just thought you'd need more time to get a dress and do whatever it is women do before they get married."

"If I were an ordinary woman I would," Gwen replied. "But with my powers, we could even have the whole thing set up and ready by tomorrow, if we wanted."

"No, not tomorrow," Mikael said quickly. "Halloween is fine."

"Good," Gwen kissed him. "What do you think Regina will say to all this?"

"I don't think it will bother her," Mikael replied. "But aren't you worried about Rebecca?"

"Well, she _did_ ask when we were going to marry in that snarky tone of hers," Gwen replied. "I can't wait to tell her. It'll finally shut her up."

* * *

"You're seriously getting married?" Rebecca asked while she, Mikael, and Gwen were sitting around her kitchen table. "You didn't have to. I was only joking, you know. Just a little payback for how you've nagged me incessantly for years."

"No, you weren't," Gwen replied. "Don't lie to me. Anyway, it's on Halloween, and we'd like it if you could come."

"Having trouble scrounging up a guest list?" Rebecca asked.

"No," Gwen replied. "You're my daughter, and I want you there. Oh, and wear a costume."

"Is _everyone_ going to be wearing costumes?" Rebecca asked. "That could be fun. Well, except for getting Robbie to wear one. That won't be so much fun."

"Yes, we were thinking of going as Dracula and a witch," Gwen told her. "You know, as a joke. And King will be my little kitty familiar."

Mikael frowned. "For the thousand time, Gwendolyn: he's not going to be a kitten. That's not manly at all!"

"And what do _you_ think think he should be?" Gwen asked.

"A dragon," Mikael said immediately. "And how wonderful would it be if you could make him breathe fire?"

Gwen heard this and hugged King closer to herself. "That's dangerous!" She cried. "I won't have my one month old son breathing fire! He could hurt himself!"

"He's a vampire!" Mikael replied. "He'll heal easily."

"Have you lost your _mind_?" Gwen shot back. "He's not being a dragon and that's that!"

"I fear for what the boy will grow up to be if you don't let him out from under your thumb, Gwendolyn," Mikael told her. "I mean, have you ever seen _Psycho?"_

"Yes," Gwen replied quietly as she glared at him. "I'm looking right at one."

"This isn't the way to talk before you get married!" Rebecca said, trying to make peace and taking King from their mother. "Can't you make some sort of compromise?"

"Fine, he can be a kitten who breathes fire," Mikael said.

"He's _not_ breathing fire!" Gwen shouted and brought her palm down on the table. King began to cry and Rebecca stood up. "You know, why don't I take care of King for awhile?" She suggested. "You two clearly have issues to work out, and him being a distraction won't help." She then took him upstairs while Mikael and Gwen glared at each other and then, after she'd put King down for a nap, Rebecca came back downstairs. "Did you two work things out?" Rebecca asked Gwen, and then paused when she saw that Mikael was nowhere in sight. "Where'd Mikael go?" She asked. Then, she gasped as Gwen put a small black kitten on the table. "King's father looks good as a kitten," she said. "Don't you think King would, too?"

* * *

"Guess what, Mom?" Regina cried, running in to Margot after a visit with Mikael and Gwen, a paper clutched in her fist. "Have a look at this!"

"What is it?" Margot asked, taking it from her. "Did something happen while you were with your grandfather?"

"No!" Regina shook her head. "Grandpa and Aunt Gwen are getting _married!_ Isn't that great? That's the invitation! It's gonna be on Halloween."

"My father is getting _married_?" Kol asked. He went to look out the window.

"What are you looking at, Daddy?" Regina asked, coming to stand next to him and taking his hand.

"I want to see if pigs are flying," Kol replied. "Or at least if I can feel the chill of hell freezing over. That would be the only reason my father would be getting married."

Regina chuckled. "You're so funny, Daddy."

"So, are we gonna go?" Margot asked. "Or are we politely declining?"

"Oh, no!" Kol shook his head. "We're _definitely_ going. My father getting married is something I _have_ to see!"

"And did you see the part where it says you have to wear a costume?" Regina pointed out. "But no one is allowed to be witches or Dracula, cause those are Grandpa and Aunt Gwen's costumes."

"Well, damn!" Kol replied. "Now I have to think of a whole new idea!"

"We should have a couples' costume!" Margot cried. "I think it would be fun! Or a family costume."

"All right," Kol replied. "But nothing too dorky. I still have to be in the same room as my father, you know."

"You can pick it," Margot promised. "You have free reign."

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" Regina asked Margot.

"Why are you asking her that?" Kol asked his daughter. "Don't you think I'll come up with a good costume idea?"

"I don't know," Regina replied. "But don't make me wear anything cutesy. I wanna scare people!"

"Well, I'll have to make slight mental alterations to my idea, but the basic plot will still work," Kol replied.

"What is it?" Regina asked. "Tell me, tell me, tell me!"

"I was thinking that if I can't be Dracula, I'll be the devil," Kol chuckled.

"And if you're the devil, what does that make us?" Margot asked.

He took her in his arms. "Well, what's the devil without some innocent to corrupt?" He asked. "And I think you'd look divine in an angel costume, sweetheart."

"That's not so bad," Margot shrugged. "I was expecting worse."

"And what about _me_?" Regina asked. "I don't wanna be an angel!"

"Well, what would the point of that be?" Kol asked. "We can just get a nice girl devil costume for you. Maybe have a halo on top instead of horns? It would fit you pretty well, don't you think?"

"I like it!" Regina grinned. "That's a good choice, Daddy!"

"I'm glad you approve," Kol replied. He paused. "You don't think your Uncle Elijah will do that for a costume, do you?" He paused and then chuckled. "Of course he won't! What am I saying?" He chuckled. "What if he and Selina come as a cop and a prostitute? Wouldn't that be funny? I should go and suggest it to them!"

"Don't you do that!" Margot said. "Let them be what they want."

"I was just teasing," Kol replied. "I wasn't really gonna do it."

"Good," Margot nodded. "Cause your brother's going through enough already! Amy told me he's a werewolf now."

"Well, there's an even better costume idea!" Kol replied. "But I guess we'll have to wait and see at the wedding, won't we?"

"Yes," Margot nodded. "We'll just have to wait and see."


	10. The Scary Thing About Marriage

"So, how are you feeling, Mom?" Rebecca asked as she helped Gwen get ready for her Halloween wedding. "Nervous?"

Gwen burst out laughing. "Are you serious? What sort of question is that?"

"Well, most people are when they marry," Rebecca replied. "I know I would be."

"Is that why you're avoiding it?" Gwen asked as Rebecca straightened her hat that went with her witch costume. "And I can't breathe! Just how tightly did you do up the corset for this dress?"

"A normal amount!" Rebecca replied impatiently. "I told you we should have gone up another size!"

"We didn't have to!" Gwen replied. "This is the size I am!"

Rebecca rolled her eyes. She'd already spent the morning listening to Robbie complain about his tux, and she finally just let him go home. She was nearly at the end of her rope. When Mikael poked his head in, she breathed in relief. "Gwendolyn?" He asked. "You look lovely! I could stare at you forever."

"Go ahead!" Rebecca replied. "I need some air!" She darted out of the room, leaving Gwen and Mikael alone.

"She seems high strung again," Mikael said as he took Gwen in his arms. "Maybe arranging all this was too much for her."

"Oh, I never know with that girl," Gwen replied, giving Mikael a kiss, then moaning his has hands went down her body. It was then that she decided to stop him. "And speaking of children, did you see Elijah arrive with Selina and the cake? They make a very nicely turned out couple."

"I bet Elijah didn't even dress up," Mikael replied, letting her go.

"Well, you'd be wrong in this case," Gwen told him. "He looks like a gangster. And Selina is a flapper."

"Good," Mikael replied. "And Kol and Margot are dressed up too."

Just then, there was a knock on the door and Amy poked her head in.

"Problem with King?" Gwen asked, turning.

"Not really," Amy replied as Mikael came to open the door the rest of the way so Amy could enter. "He just wanted to see you."

When Mikael saw King's kitten costume, he groaned. "Damn it, Gwendolyn! Why?!"

"I told you he wasn't going to be a dragon," Gwen replied as she took King from Amy, who'd been invited to keep Rebecca company, and to watch King while Rebecca tended to Gwen. She smiled. "And besides, he likes it!"

Mikael rolled his eyes and pulled the cape of his Dracula costume aside to expose the suit. "You haven't told me how _I _look, Gwendolyn."

Gwen looked him over. "Wonderful," she said. "Very handsome. And frightening. Just like I told you this morning."

"Well, it doesn't hurt me to hear it again," Mikael replied and gave her a kiss. "I'll be on my way now," he said. "Lots of people to greet, that sort of thing."

"All right," Gwen replied. "See you later!" She cuddled King for a little while, and then gave him back to Amy.

"I'll take him back amongst the people," Amy replied. "They really love him and I'm amazed he hasn't been overwhelmed yet."

"Well, he's our child, so he's made of very tough stuff," Mikael replied. "I wouldn't expect anything else."

"Well, I'm gonna go," Amy said. "See you in a bit!" She left and took King back into the crowd, bringing him up to Elijah and Selina, who was dealing with the cake, instructing some people to put it in the fridge.

"Your father didn't believe you dressed up," she told Elijah.

Elijah straightened his pinstripe jacket and fiddled around with his fedora. "I wasn't planning on it," he admitted.

"But aren't you glad you let me convince you?" Selina asked as she pulled out a knife for the cake and admired the glint on it.

"That's just for the cake, right?" Said a voice, and she looked up, as a blonde who was also dressed as a flapper approached the table. "Anna!" She cried, coming around to hug Elijah's voluptuous blonde sister. "You smell nice," she observed. "Is that a new perfume?"

"It's called 'Forbidden Romance' or something like that," Anna replied. "Now, let me have a look at your costume."

Selina gave a twirl and Anna smiled at the sparkly silver dress covered with fringe that reached just above Selina's knees. "That brings back a lot of memories," Anna said. "And you went blonde too!"

"I did," Selina nodded and patted her hair. "It's only a wig, though."

"Am I gonna have to separate you two so there won't be any shenanigans?" Elijah asked.

"Relax, brother," Anna told him. "I know how to behave at a wedding. I'm not completely uncouth."

"Well, you can understand why I'm concerned, can't you?" Elijah replied.

"Of course," Anna said. "What do you think I am, an idiot? But you have nothing to worry about!"

"I better not!" Elijah scowled.

"Don't mind him," Selina told her. "He got turned into a werewolf recently and it's made him a bit testy."

"Are you serious?" Anna gasped. "How did that happen?"

"Klaus' father kidnapped him and turned him as revenge against Mikael," Selina replied. "So...are you here with anyone?"

"I was gonna come with my girlfriend," Anna replied. "But we broke up yesterday, so here I am, alone."

"I'm really sorry!" Selina replied. "That's a bummer."

"Yeah," Anna grinned and took Selina's hand. "Shame you're not available. We had some good times, didn't we?"

"Uh-huh," Selina nodded. "We did." They stood in silence a minute before Anna said, "I'm gonna go get a drink now."

"All right," Selina replied. "Good luck with that."

Anna left and Selina turned back to Elijah, whose eyes were closed tight, his muscles tensed up. "Are you okay?" She asked. "Is something wrong? Suppressing your urges again?"

"Yes," Elijah nodded. "Is it that obvious?"

"Well, the wedding hasn't started yet," Selina pointed out. "So if you wanted, you and I could find a closet and-"

"No!" Elijah cut her off brutally. "We don't need to do that! It's not necessary! And I _wish_ you could think of other ways to solve problems besides sex!"

"It was just a suggestion," Selina replied with a frown. "I don't see why you need to make such a big deal about it. But fine. You can drink yourself sick for all I care!"

"Fine," Elijah shouted at her retreating back. "Maybe I will!"

* * *

They stayed away from each other for the rest of the wedding, with Selina sitting next to Anna during Gwen and Mikael's vows while Elijah glowered at her across the aisle.

Gwen and Mikael looked surprisingly in love, and she held little kitty King in a carrier slung over her shoulder.

When they kissed, Selina grinned at Elijah's shudder. He was the first one out of his seat when it was all over, and with wine glass in hand, filled it over and over.

"Do you think we should tell him to stop drinking?" Amy asked, looking worried. "He could hurt himself or something."

"Oh, just let him do it," Selina replied. "If he wants to, nothing will stop him."

Anna smiled, holding up a camera she'd pulled out of her purse. "Plus, I want to see if he does something wacky that can be immortalized for all of time."

Finally, it was one of the caterer's assistants that tried to curb Elijah's drinking, but as she pulled at his glass, he just laughed, dropped it on the ground, took her in his arms, and kissed her deeply as his hands went down her back and he squeezed her butt. She slapped him across the face after, but that didn't stop him, and he repeated it with several of the others. But when Selina saw him start to unzip his pants in view of everyone, she decided to step in.

"You want to have a word with my son?" Mikael asked as he approached her, looking livid.

"Don't worry," Selina assured him, running to grab Elijah's arm. "I'm already on it."

"Where are you taking me!" Elijah shouted as Selina pulled him out of the reception. "I want sex!"

"And you'll get it!" Selina replied. "We don't want you to make a bigger fool out of yourself. We'll just find a closet and do what needs to be done."

"Well, that's a touching way to describe a romantic interlude with your husband," Elijah said and pulled her to him to kiss her. But his kiss was sloppy, and Selina moved so he got her cheek instead of her lips. When she finally found a closet, she pushed him in there, shut the door, and they spend a lot of the reception in there releasing tension, something which Mikael was not at all happy about.

"Can you believe my son?" He grouched at Gwen. "Making such an awful display. I raised him better than that!"

"Oh relax!" Gwen replied and slapped his butt. "It wasn't so bad. It could have been worse."

"Well, lucky for me, he's not my only son," Mikael replied ruefully. "He may be messed up, but I have others." Then he turned and locked eyes with her. "And what was that tap on my bottom for? You know how I feel about things like that in public."

"Well, fine," Gwen replied. She handed King to Rebecca, told her goodbye, and zapped her and Mikael off on their honeymoon without telling anyone else where they were going.

"We're not in public now," Gwen smiled and zapped herself out of her dress and into some lacy black underwear. "Happy?"

"Yes," Mikael nodded. "Very much."

"I know-" Gwen began as Mikael kissed down her neck. "I know it was probably bad of me to tell Selina to make cake and then leave before we ate any of it, but-"

"Oh, that doesn't matter," Mikael replied. "Rebecca will explain everything and then everyone will eat the cake for us. It's nothing to worry about!"

Gwen considered a moment. "I suppose you're right," she replied. She put her arms around him and he pushed her against the wall and unzipped himself, preparing to remove her panties and enter her.

"Wait!" Gwen sighed. "We can't do that. Remember what the doctor said. "I'll need at least six weeks to recover from having King and it's only been a month!"

Mikael scoffed. "Come _on_, Gwendolyn! He couldn't have been serious about that! Take a risk! What was the point of us getting married if you're going to chicken out on the wedding night?"

Gwen rolled her eyes. "Don't be such a man!" She said. "Not everything is about sex!"

"Zap up a knife," Mikael commanded, locking eyes with her.

"Why?" Gwen asked.

"Don't question what I say," Mikael replied. "Just do it!"

So Gwen zapped up a knife and Mikael cut his throat, ordering her to drink the blood.

Gwen opened her mouth to ask why, but remembering what Mikael had told her about questioning him (and because she found taking blood from him exciting), she shut her mouth and began drinking his blood. After a short while, he told her to stop. When she pulled away, she asked, "Can I inquire as to why you wanted me to do that? Not purely for the sexual thrill, I assume."

"No," Mikael shook his head. "I thought it would heal whatever the ridiculous doctor said would make us have to wait six weeks."

Gwen nodded. "And _there's_ the ulterior motive."

"Hey, I'm doing this for _both _of us!" Mikael defended himself. "Not just me!"

"Well, whatever," Gwen replied, grabbing him by the waistband of his pants and pulling him toward the bed. "Now, where were we?"

"Right about here," Mikael replied and leaned in to kiss her deep and nip her lips.

"Careful with my blood, remember?" Gwen reminded him. "It's deadly for you. Or at least painful."

Mikael licked the tiny bit off his lips. "Thank you for being concerned," he said. "But I didn't take a lot."

"Good," Gwen replied. "Cause you having a horrible accident would ruin everything." She then told him to sit on the bed while, to his surprise, she zapped a pole in the room and began dancing with it. He was fascinated. He couldn't look away from her body as it bended and twisted in every imaginable way while a song about a man caught in a woman's trap played in the background. By the time the song was over, she abandoned the pole and came to stand next to him. "What did you think of my dance?" She asked, running her fingers through his hair.

He chuckled in an awkward way. "I can't think," he said. "There's no blood in my brain."

"Good," Gwen replied, pushing him against the mattress and unzipping him. "I like my men stupid." Then, with a wicked grin on her lips, she leaned down, her tongue running gently over his penis and he let out a groan of pleasure. "My god, Gwendolyn," he panted. "You are going to kill me."

* * *

"So, what happened at the wedding?" Klaus asked Amy when she returned home after the reception. "Anything interesting?"

"Well, Elijah got really drunk and nearly exposed himself," Amy replied. "Fortunately, Selina caught him and dragged him into a closet before anyone really saw anything."

Klaus laughed out loud. "And I missed it? Why does the good stuff only happen when I'm not around? Do you have pictures?"

"No, I do _not_ have pictures!" Amy replied, looking at Klaus reproachfully. "Why would I take pictures of something like that?"

"So I can enjoy the moment just as you did," Klaus replied.

Amy rolled her eyes. "Well, if you must see it, I'm sure Kol or Anna got photos. Although Margot wasn't too happy about Kol's enthusiasm though. Probably cause she has enough trouble being a good influence on Regina as it is without Kol making more trouble."

"Well, Margot should have known when she married him that he was no paragon of virtue," Klaus replied.

"Well, I'm sure she _did_ know," Amy replied. "But it's different now that they have Regina. Anyway, though, that's none of my business. How did things go with Vivi tonight? Okay?"

"Yeah, fine," Klaus replied. "I put her to bed a little bit ago. What do you want to do now?" He got up and lurked around her. "Wanna watch scary movies?" He grabbed her and pretended to bite her. "It'll be fun. And I brought candy too."

"Don't tell me you're giving kids candy," Amy grinned. "I don't believe it."

"What kids?" Klaus asked. "This is for _us. _So, do you want to watch a movie?"

"Sure," Amy replied. "Why not? Do you need to go out and feed? You can do it now that I'm here."

"Actually, Savannah came over for a bit and I did it then," Klaus replied. "So I'm all yours."

Amy grinned. "Good. And just as a question, Vivi's room has a sound spell on it, right? So she won't be woken up by outside noise?"

"Yes," Klaus nodded. "Savannah did it. Why?"

"Never mind," Amy replied. "Just asking."

They ate candy and watched _The Wolf Man _and _Dracula._ Halfway through Dracula, Amy got up to get a drink from the kitchen and didn't come back. Once Klaus noticed, he called out her name, over and over. When he heard nothing, he shrugged and figured that she'd show up eventually. He began eating candy again and that was when Amy popped up from behind the sofa and let out a yell that made him drop all the candy on the floor and scream too as she stood there and laughed.

"What the hell was that?" He asked, glaring at her.

Amy grinned. "I'm just having a little fun," she said. "Trick or Treat!"

* * *

Elijah woke up the next morning with a terrible hangover. "Fuck!" He yelled. "Fuck, fuck, fuck!"

"Morning, sunshine!" Selina smiled. "You had quite the night last night!"

"I can see you're very amused by what I did," Elijah replied. "You shouldn't be amused. You should be full of shame. I know I am!"

"Oh, it wasn't so bad!" Selina replied. "I was having sex with you in the closet before you actually were able to expose yourself to all the guests at the wedding."

Elijah's eyes widened. "I did _what_? I know I had quite a bit to drink, but _what?"_

"You were feeling up all the waitresses and caterer's assistants, and then, when you went to unzip your pants, that's when I decided I had to put a stop to it all," Selina replied. "No one saw anything."

"How mad was my father?" Elijah asked.

"Well, I can't say he was happy, but Gwen didn't think it was so bad, so he'll probably forgive you," Selina replied. "Now, what did we learn from all this?"

"That being a werewolf is causing me nothing but misery!" Elijah cried. "I hate it!"

"I know it's a bummer, but it's not something you can change, so you might as well get used to it," Selina pointed out. "If you got through becoming a vampire even though it caused you to kill your wife and kids, a little drunken stripping caused by an active werewolf gene is nothing!" She tried to be reassuring. "Now, let me get you some coffee and some pills for your head, and we'll forget all this ever happened. And that in the future, you give into your urges when you get them, cause repressing them causes trouble.

"Forgetting is easier said than done," Elijah replied. "Kol will be more than happy to remind me of it at Thanksgiving. And Christmas."

"Well, then just laugh it off," Selina suggested. "Show him it doesn't bother you. Or, if you wanted to be petty, you could bring up some of _his_ drunken escapades in return. I'm sure he has some." She left and came back with coffee, pills, and some of the leftover wedding cake. "I thought you might like that for breakfast," she said. "We have a lot and need to eat it before it gets crumbly."

"All right," Elijah replied, taking the pills and then stabbing at the cake with his fork. "Thank you, darling."

"You're welcome," Selina replied. She was about to go check on Ethan, but then turned.

"I know you're not feeling well at the moment, but yesterday was my birthday, remember, and because of Gwen and Mikael's wedding, I really didn't get to celebrate. When you're feeling better, can we go shopping?"

"Of course," Elijah replied, wiping some frosting off his chin. "Happy birthday, darling."

"Thank you," Selina replied. Then she kissed him on the cheek, and went to check on Ethan.


	11. Taking The Wheel

"Now that Halloween is over, we have to think about Thanksgiving!" Savannah exclaimed. "Do you think your mother and Ted will want to have us over?"

"I doubt it," Jonathan replied stiffly. "I've never celebrated that holiday, and neither has my mother."

"Why not?" Savannah asked. "You get to eat _so_ much! It's great!"

"Well, as much as I love to see you showing enthusiasm for something, I really don't think we can pull it off," Jonathan replied. "You might have grown up in a family where they celebrate that holiday, but as it was started by witch-killing Puritans, witches and warlocks usually don't have any use for it."

Savannah pouted. "Well, that's no fun!"

"Instead of moping about Thanksgiving, think about our wedding, remember that?" Jonathan asked.

"Well, duh. How could I forget?" Savannah replied.

"I don't know," Jonathan replied. "But you were so hung up on that ridculous Thanksgiving idea, I wondered." He paused. "So what exactly_ have_ you planned regarding the wedding?"

"I don't think I want it to be too fancy," Savannah replied. "Maybe we could have the ceremony in the woods or something."

Jonathan choked. "In the woods? Why?"

"That's a lot simpler than paying an arm and a leg for a venue and stuff, isn't it?" Savannah asked. "The more money we save there, the more that can go toward other things."

"I'm proud that you're actually thinking about money," Jonathan commented. "Instead of just compelling everyone to give us everything."

"So you weren't just planning on using magic to get everything?" Savannah asked.

"No," Jonathan replied. "I think...I think it might be interesting if everything we do for our wedding is done the human way. No compulsion, no magic...what do you think?"

Savannah scoffed. "First you say we can't have much sex until the wedding, then you say I can't use my powers. You're asking an awful lot."

"Hey, it'll be tougher for me than it is for you," Jonathan replied.

"And how, pray tell, is that?" Savannah wondered aloud.

"Well, for starters, I can't drive," Jonathan replied.

"What?" Savannah asked. "What do you _mean _you can't drive?"

"I mean just that," Jonathan repeated. "I can't drive. Never sat behind the wheel of anything in my life. I mean, I can steer a buggy, of course, but that's it."

"A _buggy?" _Savannah repeated. "What the hell is a buggy?"

"You know, a transport that's led by horses," Jonathan replied. "We used them a lot when your mother, aunt and I were growing up."

"Oh, that's right!" Savannah tapped her head. "I forgot you were so _old!"_

"I'll take that as a compliment, since I feel l look very good for my age," Jonathan said stiffly. " Especially since your father is so much older. I suppose it wouldn't hurt me to learn how to drive a car. Do you know of anyone who can teach me?"

"I could," Savannah replied. "I know how."

"But aren't you a tad new to the whole driving process yourself?" Jonathan asked. "Maybe I should ask your mother or aunt instead."

"Are you saying you don't trust me?" Savannah asked. "I think I'm hurt!"

"Well I'm only thinking of my safety," Jonathan replied. "You may be able to heal immediately after a crash, but I can't. And if I die, we won't be able to get married."

"Don't be such a worrywart," Savannah replied. "If we got in a crash, and you were hurt, I would heal you with my blood, and everything would be fine. Will you just trust me?"

"Fine," Jonathan replied. "I'll agree to let you help me drive if..."

"If what?" Savannah asked, her eyes narrowing.

"If you let your mother be in the backseat while you teach me," Jonathan finished. "Please? Just as an extra precaution."

"Fine," Savannah sighed. "I guess if you really need to have Mom in the backseat for you to feel safe, I'll tell her."

"Thank you," Jonathan replied, giving her a long hug. "I appreciate it."

* * *

"Is it hard to drive one of these things?" Jonathan asked Amy as he came out to her car to meet her the next day. "You know how to drive one, right?"

"Of course she does!" Savannah replied. "How do you think the car got here in the first place?"

"Savannah, be nice!" Amy chided. "And yes," she told Jonathan. "I know how to drive. I'll help you. Don't worry."

"No, helping is _my_ job!" Savannah corrected. "You're just supposed to sit in the back so he feels secure."

"You're going to help him?" Amy asked. "Are you sure that's a good idea? You haven't had your license very long."

"Why does everyone need to point that out?" Savannah asked. "I know how long I've had my license. But I still think I can do it." She paused and then backed away. "But if you two just wanna learn together, hey, don't let me stand in the way."

"Look at you, making a sensible decision!" Amy smiled. "You can come with us. Sit in the back and get a good view of all the nice fall scenery."

"Only little kids sit in the back," Savannah grumbled. But she got in the backseat and let Amy close the door after her. Then, when they reached an empty parking lot near the house, Amy sat next to Jonathan in the passenger seat and told him how to start the car. When the engine roared to life, he looked terrified.

"My god!" He cried. "What is that god awful noise?"

"The engine," Savannah replied. "Are you telling me that horses were never that noisy? Sounds like the muffler needs some work too."

"Now put your hands on the wheel," Amy said. "Move this stick thingy to drive, and then gently turn the wheel." Jonathan did so, and brought the car forward a little bit before quickly putting on the breaks. "Well, I think that's enough for today," he said. "Can't do too much at once, can we?"

"That's all you're gonna do?" Savannah asked. "But you were doing so well!"

"I don't want to push my luck," Jonathan replied. "What do you both say to my zapping us home?"

"All right," Amy replied. "Sounds good!"

"It's a good thing we have a long time before the wedding for you to learn how to drive," Savannah told Jonathan when they got home. "At the rate you're going, you're gonna need it."

"I agree," Jonathan replied. "I definitely am."

* * *

When Mikael and Gwen returned after picking up King from Rebecca's, they were shocked to find Regina sitting on the sofa in their living room in a relaxed and elegant pose.

"What are you doing here?" Mikael asked her. "How did you even get in? You have no powers, or even a key!"

"I picked the lock," Regina replied. "Daddy showed me how. And the neighbors called the police on me, but I made them go away."

"How long have you been here?" Mikael asked. "You didn't break in the second we left, did you?"

"No," Regina replied. "I just came yesterday. Mom and Dad think I'm with Aunt Amy."

Gwen looked at Mikael and sighed. "I'll take King and you can deal with this," she said. "Unless you want me to handle it."

"No, I will," Mikael replied. "It's fine. I'll get her to see reason."

"Are you mad at me?" Regina asked, leaning forward in the chair. "I thought you would be happy to see me!"

"Well, of course I am!" Mikael replied. "I just wasn't expecting to see you here. Why would you lie to your parents about where you were?"

"Cause Mom wouldn't have let me come here while you were gone if I'd told the truth," Regina replied. "I just wanted to welcome you home. Is that so wrong?"

"Well, no, of course the action itself isn't wrong," Mikael replied. "But don't you think your parents will be mad when they find out you lied to them?"

"Why would they be?" Regina asked. "It's not like I'm lost or hurt or anything. And they did worse stuff than this!"

"I can't disagree with you there," Mikael replied. "At least not about your father, anyway. But I still think I should take you home."

"You can't," Regina replied. "Mom and Dad aren't there."

"Well, you seem to have managed being here in _this_ house by yourself," Mikael replied. "What's so different about your house, then?"

"No one is _at_ my house!" Regina repeated. "And Daddy says he doesn't like me being anywhere alone, so I guess you have to keep me."

"Not if I called your aunt," Mikael replied. "I can do that, you know. And then she would come and get you."

"But you don't _really_ want to take me home," Regina prompted, looking very cute. "Do you?"

Mikael tried to stare her down, but it failed. She was just too adorable. "All right," he said. "You can stay. But the second your parents return home, that's where you're going."

"Fine," Regina replied. "That sounds logical."

When Gwen returned after putting King in his room, Regina smiled at her. "Guess what, Aunt Gwen? Grandpa told me I could stay until Mom and Dad come back!"

"_Did_ he?" Gwen asked. "Isn't that interesting?" Then, with a big smirk on her face, she went to see Mikael. "You sure showed Regina who was boss."

"Oh, shut up, Gwendolyn," Mikael replied. "I had a change of heart. There's nothing wrong with that."

"No," Gwen smiled. "There's not. You old softie."

"You take that back!" Mikael replied.

"Make me!" Gwen smirked.

"I would," Mikael replied as he began unpacking. "But with Regina in the house, it wouldn't be appropriate. She could hear us!"

"All right, I'll wait," Gwen replied, and nibbled on his ear. "But once she leaves, you put me in my place."

"All right," Mikael nodded. "As soon as Regina leaves. Or goes to bed here. Whichever comes first."


	12. A Big Sacrifice

"I can't believe you sneaked into your grandfather's house while your dad and I were gone," Margot chided her daughter.

"I didn't_ sneak _in," Regina replied. "I got in all right. I mean, I didn't break windows or anything."

"Did you pick the lock?" Kol asked with a chuckle. "That's really very clever."

Regina grinned. "I know, isn't it?"

Margot sighed. "What am I going to do with you two?"

"You're yelling at me even though you were just in jail?" Regina asked. "You're a hypo-hypo-"

"Hypocrite?" Kol finished helpfully.

"Yeah!" Regina nodded. "One of those!"

"Thanks for your support," Margot told Kol dryly.

"You're welcome!" He replied, still grinning.

She then strode off, and Kol told Regina that it would probably be best if she went to her room for a bit. Regina rolled her eyes, but obeyed, while Kol headed to his and Margot's room, where he found her sitting on their bed.

He knocked on the wall and she looked up at him, eyes narrowed. "What do _you_ want?" She asked, eyes narrowed.

"Oh, don't be like that, darling," Kol replied, coming to sit next to her. "What's the matter?"

"Why do you need to encourage Regina every time she does something bad?" Margot asked. "How's she gonna learn what's bad to do and what's not unless we tell her?"

"She's been a lot better than you're making her out to be," Kol replied. "And you're no angel either." He grinned as Margot's jaw dropped in indignation. "But don't worry," he nuzzled her neck. "That's why I like you." He then took her face in his hands and kissed her deep. She protested for a few seconds and then gave in, letting him push her back against the mattress and immediately start nibbling on her neck again.

"Why do you always go for my neck?" Margot asked him.

"I'm a vampire," Kol replied, pausing. "I think that would be obvious. Besides, it's starting to get cold. I need to take advantage of the neck exposure while I can before you start wearing those damn turtleneck sweaters of yours every day."

"Hey!" Margot replied, pushing his head up. "I look _damn_ good in turtleneck sweaters, thank you very much!"

Kol grinned and pushed his fingers through her red hair. "Maybe," he said. "But I think you look best in nothing at all."

Margot snorted. "You need to come up with some new lines," she replied as he helped her out of her jeans. "You're getting predictable."

"Oh, that doesn't matter," Kol replied, slipping off her panties. "As long as they get the job done." She then let out a shriek as his tongue slid inside her, and burst out laughing. "That kind of tickles!" She cried. "It really does!"

Suddenly, her arms were pinned down, and Kol was looming over her, his eyes dark and intense.

"Yes?" Margot asked, staring up at him. "May I help you?"

"I forgot to ask," he replied, his voice urgent. "There's still the spell on the door, right? The one so Regina can't hear us?"

"Yes," Margot nodded. "I never took it off."

"Good," Kol replied and pushed into her, causing her to emit a shriek that left his ears ringing.

"Sorry," Margot apologized after he rolled off of her and she noticed his wince. "You're not deaf now, are you?"

"No, but I think it was a close call," he said. "You really have a good set of lungs in you."

"Thanks," Margot replied. "You're not the first to notice. When I was a kid, before my mother decided that I was too ornery, she'd drag me in front of all her friends and make me sing for them. It was annoying."

"Do you think that was _why_ you became ornery?" Kol asked. "So she wouldn't ask you to do that anymore?"

"Possibly," Margot replied. "Who knows?"

"Do you think she would have liked me, your mother?" Kol asked.

"Well, no," Margot replied frankly, picturing her neat, severe mother, her red hair pinned up on top of her head and her clothes perfect. "Sorry."

"That's not a problem," Kol replied easily. "If she had, you wouldn't have. Am I right?"

Margot rolled on her stomach and balanced on an elbow. "You're probably right," she replied. "It's a good thing I never told her about me and Jonathan. That wouldn't have been fun."

"How could she have not known about that?" Kol asked.

"I was very sneaky," Margot replied. "Do you believe me?"

"Why shouldn't I?" Kol asked.

Margot shrugged. "I don't know." She let out a sigh and Kol took her in his arms, kissing her hair. "Just wondering," he said after. "And I swear this is the only time I will ask this, but..am I better than Putnam?" He paused and chuckled. "Never mind, don't answer that. I know I am."

"Can I ask why you and your brother seem to have weird complexes when it comes to Jonathan Putnam?" Margot wondered aloud. "You're vampire royalty. He's just a warlock. What's the big deal? And did you know he can't even drive? Amy is teaching him now because he and Savannah decided to do everything the human way for their wedding. No powers or anything."

"How noble of them," Kol replied dryly. "Now they can see how _you_ live."

"No kidding," Margot replied. "But I bet they're gonna stop after a week or whatever, those chickens. I'm way better than them!"

"Definitely," Kol replied and took her in his arms. "That goes without saying." He kissed her and she put her head on his shoulder. "This is nice," she said. "But when do you think we should let Regina out of her room?"

"Oh, we don't need to worry about that," Kol replied. "We'll just stay here. I doubt she even went to her room in the first place."

"Good point," Margot replied. "That is a _very_ good point."

* * *

"Where have you been disappearing for an hour every day?" Klaus asked Amy as she came in from another driving lesson with Jonathan. "I don't have to worry, do I?"

"No," Amy replied. "I'm just teaching Jonathan how to drive. Better I do it than Savannah."

Klaus chuckled. "Jonathan doesn't know how to _drive?"_

"Don't you laugh at him!" Amy chided. "Given that he can zap himself anywhere he chooses, it's not unbelievable that he can't work a car. Not everyone is so willing to embrace technology."

"Just what I'd expect from an old relic like him," Klaus nodded.

"You're_ much _older than he is," Amy reminded her husband.

"Oh, I know," Klaus replied with a smirk. "But you can't tell, can you?"

Just then, Vivi started crying. "You want to tend to her?" Amy asked coldly. "Or should I?"

"Oh, lighten up!" Klaus replied. "I'll do it!"

She gasped in shock when Klaus came out holding a little wolf pup. "Well, look what she turned into," He smiled and stroked Vivi adoringly.

"Should I go call Savannah or Jonathan to turn her back?" Amy asked. "We can't really leave her like that."

"Why not?" Klaus asked. "Why not for just a little bit?"

"You're not gonna teach her to hunt, are you?" Amy asked. "Cause I think that's what made Savannah go screwy. You taught her how to hunt when she was way too young!"

"I'm no gonna teach her how to hunt, all right?" Klaus replied firmly. "Having one like Savannah is enough. We don't need another."

"Another what?" Savannah asked, popping in. "Technically, I shouldn't have popped in, cause Jonathan and I made a vow not to use our powers until after the wedding, but...you won't tell him, will you?"

"Oh, it's not that hard!" Amy frowned. "Your aunt and I are managing just fine without our powers. Why can't you?"

"Cause_ I_ don't have to," Savannah replied. "You and Aunt Margot have no choice. You died, your powers disappeared, shit happens, move on."

"Oh, believe me," Amy glared at her husband. "I'm trying."

"I said I was sorry," Klaus replied. "What more do you want from me?"

"Did you and Mom get a puppy?" Savannah asked Klaus, noticing the cub in his arms before Amy could respond.

"Not exactly," Klaus replied. "This is your sister."

Savannah raised her hand. "Want me to turn her back?"

"No, just a minute." He put Vivi on the ground and let her run around. "She'll have even more fun outside," he said. "I think we should take her."

"Oh, I wanna come too!" Savannah replied and changed herself, coming to stand at Klaus' side so that he was flanked by either one of his daughters. He changed himself, and then they all headed to the door, waiting for Amy to open it. She sighed and gave it a push, watching as they all ran out. She followed a few seconds later, standing in the yard as the rest of her family ran around. She was amazed at how human they all seemed. Klaus and Savannah were very aware, and were constantly watching Vivi, who ran around yipping, the wolf equivalent of a little kid on a sugar rush. Just when Amy was about to go back inside, Savannah resumed her human form. "Wanna join us?" She asked.

"I can't," Amy shook her head. "No powers, remember?"

"You may not have them," Savannah said and turned her mother. "But I do. Come on!"

Feeling very happy, Amy joined the melee, running around the yard with everyone else, and when they had all resumed their human forms and gone inside, Amy gave her daughter a hug. "Thank you for that," she said. "That was...that was very nice."

"You're welcome," Savannah replied. "And...you can tell Jonathan about that one. In fact, I wish you would."

"I'd be glad to," Amy replied. "It's nice to know that you're learning to be selfless with your magic."

"Only for people I like," Savannah replied. "I wouldn't do it for just anyone."

"Well, that's a start," Amy replied. And to her surprise, her daughter, who had never really liked being touched, actually took the initiative to hug her this time. "I'm sorry you don't have your powers," she said.

"It's not so bad," Amy replied. "You learn to adapt. I'm adapting."

* * *

But despite those assurances from her mother, Savannah wasn't quite convinced. Which was why, when Alistair came by Klaus' the next day, she asked him if Astrid was at home.

"No, she's working at the moment," Alistair replied. "If you want to catch her, you'll have to go to the Council building."

"All right!" Savannah replied and zapped herself there, right into Astrid's office. "I don't have an appointment," she said quickly. "But I'll only need a few minutes."

"Fine," Astrid replied. "What do you need?"

"Well, you know how my dad killed my mom?" Savannah asked.

"Yes," Astrid nodded. "What about it?"

"Well," Savannah sat down in the chair across from Astrid's. "Mom is trying to act like not having powers doesn't bother her, but I think it kind of does. And since she lost them in such an unjust way, is there any way she can get them back?"

"No," Astrid shook her head. "Once the powers are gone that way, they're gone."

"Is there any way at all for her to have powers?" Savannah pressed. "Even if it's just for a little bit?" Her eyes widened. "Could I...could I give her mine? Not forever, of course. But for a little while?"

"Why would you want to do that?" Astrid asked. "It surprises me. I wouldn't expect you to do such a thing."

"Yes, I know," Savannah nodded. "But could I? Jonathan is on this whole 'no using powers until after our wedding' kick. It would really help me avoid temptation _and_ give Mom closure. Please, please, please? At least until after my wedding?"

"Fine," Astrid replied. "I can give your mother your powers. But first she'd have to agree to it, and I don't know if that will happen."

"Oh, I don't know," Savannah replied. "It might."

* * *

So Astrid told her secretary to hold her calls and they headed to Klaus and Amy's, where Astrid laid out what Savannah had proposed.

"You-you wanna give _me_ your powers?" Amy asked, her jaw dropping in shock. "Honey, that's sweet, but it's really not necessary."

"Stop being a martyr, Mom," Savannah replied. "Please. And yes it_ is_ necessary. Think about it. If you had my powers, you wouldn't have to call Jonathan or me every time Vivi turns into something. You could fix her yourself. You need my powers for that alone. I don't need them the way you do. I mean, I'm at the point where they're nice to have, but all they do is make me do bad things, which cause Jonathan to lecture me, which I hate! So I want you to take them, at least until Vivi's powers don't erupt every five minutes. Please, Mom. I insist."

"Well, it _would_ make things a lot easier for me," Amy said thoughtfully. "All right, I'll take your powers. But only for Vivi's sake."

"And if it makes you feel any better, you can pay me back by getting me a really big present," Savannah said, and then caught her father's eye. "I'm sure the family has a big mansion they aren't using that Jonathan and I can move into, right?"

"Maybe," Klaus replied. "I'll think about it."

"Hold hands," Astrid instructed Amy and Savannah. She then muttered a spell and Savannah felt herself weaken as her magic flowed down her arm, out her fingertips, and into her mother. After it was all over, she collapsed, and woke to her mother leaning over her. "Are you okay?" She asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine," she said as Astrid and Amy helped her up. "Did it work?"

"Yes, it worked perfectly," Astrid replied. "I think Jonathan will be proud of you."

"Remember," Savannah cautioned her mother. "This isn't permanent, you know."

"I do," Amy replied. "I know it won't be forever. I'll be more than happy to give you back your powers when the time comes, but until then-" she zapped up a chocolate cupcake. "Have a cupcake, with my gratitude."

"Thanks," Savannah replied and took a bite. "I guess that's a good enough repayment for now, since I know I'm gonna have a house later."

"Why don't you go call Jonathan and tell him?" Amy suggested.

"Maybe you should," Savannah replied. "I don't think he'd believe _me._"

"All right," Amy nodded. "And thanks again, sweetie. This was really selfless of you."

"Oh, I know," Savannah replied. "Just don't expect me to do stuff like this_ all _the time."

"Don't worry," Amy replied. "I won't."

* * *

"What is this book you left on my side of the bed, Gwendolyn?" Mikael asked Gwen as she played with King. She looked up at the book he held.

"It's a book on parenting for people with magical babies," Gwen replied. "I thought you could stand to brush up a little."

"I know how to raise magical children!" Mikael cried. "Every damn one of them that I had with my wife was magical. It's all her fault! That was why I told them they couldn't use their powers. Their babyhoods were just absolutely hellish."

"But that was a long time ago," Gwen pointed out, and then said firmly, "just read the damn book, okay?"

"I don't see why I have to," Mikael replied. "Taking care of King is _your _job. I'll bond with him when he can walk and is smart enough to come hunting with me."

"No, you'll help me take care of him _now_," Gwen said through her teeth. With a flick of her hand, the book went flying and hit Mikael in the face. He fell on his back, but got to his feet as the book levitated in front of him, opening to page one. He tried to swat it away, but it wouldn't move. When he left the room it followed him, getting in his line of vision and making him crash into a wall.

"It'll be less painful for you if you just pick up the book and read it," Gwen told him. "But whatever works for you. It's your choice."

"I can't believe you're doing this to me, Gwendolyn," Mikael replied as he tried to stem the blood flowing from his nose.

"Here," Gwen zapped up a white hankie and handed it to him. "Clean up your face. It's a mess. And read the book!"

"Stupid woman," Mikael grumbled as Gwen shut King's bedroom door in his face. "I don't know what I saw in her anyway." He wiped his face off as his broken nose healed, then walked away from the book, trying to ignore the fact that it was following him, and there was absolutely nothing he could do about that, except exactly what Gwen wanted.


	13. That's What Friends Are For

"It was very sweet of you to give your mother your powers," Jonathan told Savannah. "I'm incredibly proud of you."

"Oh, it's nothing," Savannah replied. "I only did it so Mom wouldn't call me every day to help with Vivi. And I thought it would make you happy."

"Well, you didn't have to give up your powers," Jonathan replied. "But if you felt it was a good idea, it's not like I'm going to scold you."

"That's very nice," Savannah replied. "Do I get some sort of reward for being so selfless about my powers?"

"The notion of being selfless means you don't _need _a reward," Jonathan told her. "But I don't have to guess what sort of reward you want."

"And can I have it?" Savannah asked. "Will you sleep with me? Or are you not attracted to me that way?"

"What kind of a stupid question is that?" Jonathan asked. "Of course I'm attracted to you! Why would you even ask something of that nature?"

"Because it's so easy for you to hold off," Savannah replied. "If you were really attracted to me, I would expect you to struggle a bit more. You know, like I am."

"I _am_ struggling," Jonathan replied. "I just do a better job of hiding it than you."

"I don't know if I believe you," Savannah said. "And I know you probably think I'm just asking for sex to be troublesome, but I'm really not."

"Oh, I don't think you're trying to be troublesome," Jonathan replied, hugging her. "Maybe I'm asking for too much from you. I should know that physical intimacy is very important for you, and to deprive you of it is a bit insensitive of me."

"But I get what you're saying, though," Savannah replied, hugging him. "I'll hold out for the two weeks before the wedding. Will it still be special then?"

"Yes," Jonathan replied and kissed her. "Now, we should probably plan some wedding things, shouldn't we?"

"Sure," Savannah replied. "What do you want to start with?"

"What about who's coming?" Jonathan asked. "You think we should keep it small? Immediate family only?"

"Sure," Savannah replied. "If you want. So my parents, my sister, your parents, and your sister. And possibly my aunt, cause she can make the cake."

"Do you really think inviting your father is the best idea?" Jonathan asked. "Do you really think he'll want to come? Or would that be too awkward?"

"Oh, Mom will probably insist he comes," Savannah replied. "And she'll be sure he behaves himself."

"But if he thinks it will be too awkward, your mother shouldn't make him," Jonathan replied. "Same thing with Margot and Kol."

"I'll be sure to let them know that their coming is optional," Savannah replied. "Should I go talk to my parents now? You can come over with me! And if you're nice, I might even let you drive."

"Oh, I don't think I will," Jonathan told her. "Your mother isn't even in the car with me."

"Fine," Savannah replied. "I'll drive."

"Will we be safe?" Jonathan asked nervously.

Savannah turned and gave him a look. "You really don't trust me at all, do you?"

"No," Jonathan shook his head. "No offense, or anything." He took her hand and zapped them both to Klaus and Amy's front door, and knocked on it politely.

"Hello, Savannah!" Klaus said brightly when he opened the door and saw his daughter. Then, he noticed Jonathan. "Putnam? Were you wanting to come in?"

"If you're not busy, could we?" Savannah asked.

Klaus let them inside and then Savannah cleared her throat. "So," she said, "Are you and Mom planning on coming to our wedding?"

"Why wouldn't we?" Klaus asked. "You're our daughter."

"We just didn't want you to feel awkward," Jonathan replied.

"Well, of course it will be awkward," Klaus replied. "But I can deal with it."

"That's very sweet, Daddy," Savannah replied.

"The question is, do you want us to bring your sister?" Klaus asked. "Or do you want us to leave her with someone?"

"Oh, I don't know," Savannah replied. "If we wait until her powers calm down, it shouldn't be a problem to have her there. She's pretty calm normally. Right?"

"Surprisingly, yes," Klaus nodded.

"Speaking of her, where is she?" Savannah wondered. "And where's Mom?"

"She took your sister out to get clothes or something," Klaus replied. "I don't know. I wasn't really paying attention."

"Well, thanks for the help, Daddy," Savannah replied.

"It's nothing," Klaus told her. Then he looked up. "Oh, and I think I found a place that you might like."

"For the wedding?" Savannah asked. "Wonderful! Is it a mansion? Can we own it afterward?"

"Savannah!" Jonathan scolded. "That's not a nice thing to ask."

"Oh, don't worry," Savannah replied. "It was part of the deal when I gave Mom my powers."

"Why not?" Klaus chuckled. "It's not like anyone else is using it."

"Good!" Savannah replied. "That's one thing we can check off the list." She turned to Jonathan. "Wanna go home and work on the others?"

"I don't see why not," Jonathan replied.

"All right," Savannah smiled at her father. "Goodbye, Daddy. See you later!"

"Bye!" Klaus called after her just before she disappeared.

* * *

"I can't believe you and Jonathan are getting married," Susanna told Savannah. They'd decided to visit her and Marcel instead of going home. "I just...I never saw you as the marrying type!"

"Well, I'll get to be with Jonathan every day, and he gave me a pretty ring, so why not?" Savannah asked. "Are you and Marcel ever gonna get married?"

"Who knows?" Susanna replied. "I don't see any rush to, though. It took my parents _years_ to get married. Marcel and I can be the same."

"Be the same about what?" Marcel asked, poking his head in from where he and Jonathan were talking.

"Getting married," Susanna replied. "You wanna wait, don't you?"

Marcel's eyes widened. "Why are you talking about _us_ getting married?" He asked. "It's kind of sudden."

"Oh, don't worry," Susanna assured him. "You won't be pestered about marriage by me."

"Good," Marcel let out a breath. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to get back to convincing Jonathan to let me throw him a bachelor party."

Once he was gone, Savannah chuckled. "Jonathan having a bachelor party? He wants to wait to sleep with _me._ I think seeing a strange woman scantily clad would make him have some sort of stroke or something."

"You really think it would be that much of a problem?" Susanna asked.

"He can't even drive a car!" Savannah cried. "That's how old fashioned he is! Seeing a woman's ankles would be bad enough, but a naked torso and boobs would kill him!"

"So are you saying I should tell Marcel _not_ to throw Jonathan a bachelor party?" Susanna asked. "Cause I will."

"Well, I don't know," Savannah replied. "Maybe I'm underestimating his fortitude. After all, he was a criminal at one point. And he also slept with my aunt Margot and she's a really sexy person."

At that moment, the phone rang. Susanna got up to answer it, and her eyes widened when she heard who was on the other end. "Monster!" James cried. "What's this I hear about Putnam getting married?"

"How in the world do you know about it?" Susanna asked incredulously. "I'm just finding out right now!"

"Savannah's father called me," James replied. "He must've needed someone to vent to since Amy won't hear of it anymore."

"Well, Jonathan is here if you'd like to talk to him," Susanna replied. "Marcel is trying to convince him to have a bachelor party, but Savannah and I wonder if that's a good idea."

James chuckled. "Doesn't surprise me that Savannah's the jealous type," he said. "If Marcel does convince him, would you let me know? I'd like to be invited."

"Do you think Mom would let you go?" Susanna asked.

"Oh, come on, Monster!" James replied. "I'm a grown man! I can go to a bachelor party if I want to! But just to be safe, make sure that you throw Savannah one on the same night and invite your mother."

"Daddy, if your gut says you need to lie to Mom, maybe you should skip Jonathan's party. Hell, with your pirate past and all the wenches you used to go through, it might be the best idea. Who's to say you won't drink too much and run off with the girl who jumps out of the cake?"

"You worry too much," James replied. "Now, give me to Putnam, Susanna Siobhan. If Marcel can't convince him to have a little fun,_ I_ will."

Susanna rolled her eyes and brought the phone out to Jonathan, explaining what her father wanted, before heading back to Savannah.

"You want a bachelorette party?" Susanna asked. "My father insists I throw one for you so he can go to Jonathan's and Mom won't catch him."

"I don't see why I shouldn't have one," Savannah replied. "Although, you'd be in charge of clean up, cause I don't have powers at present."

"What?" Susanna asked, shocked. "Why? What did you do?"

"I gave them to my mom temporarily," Savannah replied. "I didn't get in trouble or anything."

"Well, I would have talked to Grandma for you if you _had_ done something bad," Susanna assured her.

"How nice of you," Savannah replied. "So...you got any ideas for my bachelorette party?"

"A few," Susanna replied. "But first, we have to make sure that Jonathan is getting his send-off."

"So," Savannah asked Jonathan as he came in with the phone. "Are you gonna engage in a night of pre-wedding debauchery?"

"Yes," Jonathan replied. "But only for one night, I swear."

"Well, if it will help you feel less guilty, we can go home and have sex right now," Savannah replied.

"Sure," Jonathan replied. "That would help. Let's go."

* * *

He zapped them home and straight to their bedroom where, after removing his shirt, he assured Savannah that the bachelor party would be short and he promised he wouldn't drink anything.

"I'm only doing this because Marcel was so insistent," Jonathan assured her. "There won't be any impropriety, I swear."

"Relax," Savannah replied and kissed him. "You don't have to worry. I'm not gonna curse your name for doing something a lot of guys do. The women you see at your party will have you for one night and I'm gonna have you for a lot longer. So how can I be mad?"

"I was expecting a much more tempestuous reaction," Jonathan said in amazement. "Why are you so calm?"

"Cause I'll be doing the same sort of thing with Susanna," Savannah replied.

"Well, that's just ridiculous!" Jonathan replied. "What need would women have to get outrageously drunk and stare at scantily clad men? Women should do something less corrupting, like chat over quilting."

"Quilting?" Savannah chuckled. "There you go saying funny words again. 'Quilting' and 'Buggy'. What's next? Are you gonna expect me to churn butter by hand?"

"Well, no, of course not," Jonathan replied. "I just...I don't feel comfortable with you spending the evening doing such things. For me, it's different. I'm a gentleman. But you...I worry."

Savannah heard this and tried to control her temper. "I'm gonna pretend like you're not being a big dork about this," Savannah told him as she stripped and pulled his pants down to his ankles. "I have better things to devote my time to." She pushed him back against the wall with force and kissed him hard. Then, she sat him down on the chest at the end of the bed and gave him a lap dance. "This is what you'll see at your party," she said as his eyes locked on her belly button. "You'll forgive me if I don't know exactly what I'm doing. But I'm not a professional."

"Stop, stop, stop!" Jonathan cried.

"Well, if you can't handle this..." Savannah began. But Jonathan cut her off, ordering her to sit with her legs wrapped around his waist. He stood up with her and then braced her against the wall as she felt him slip inside her. She gasped as he nipped at her neck, and felt his tongue slip between her lips. "Oh, god," she whispered. "Oh, god!"

After her release, she sort of hung over his shoulder as he took her back to bed and tucked her in. "I shall think of you as those under-dressed young ladies do all they can to entice me," he whispered in her ear. "I promise."


	14. The Party House

"Well, well, well," Gwen said with a smirk as she stood in the entryway of her and Mikael's bedroom and found him reading the book she'd given him. "Finally decided to do what I asked, have you?"

"It beats being chased by a possessed book from hell," Mikael replied. "But I'll have you know that I don't appreciate what you did."

"Oh, boo hoo," Gwen replied. "Go cry to someone who cares. Learning anything useful?"

"Yes, I did, Gwendolyn," he replied. "Would you like to hear what it is? You'll have to come a little closer."

Intrigued, Gwen came toward him, and when she was near him, that's when he grabbed her and covered her hands in goop before kissing her deeply.

"Oh, ugh, that is disgusting!" She cried. But when she tried to use her powers to extricate herself from his grip, she found that she couldn't.

Mikael chuckled at the distressed look on her face. "Witch Hazel." He told her. "Doesn't render you powerless forever. But long enough that I'll feel avenged for your little trick with the book."

Gwen gnashed her teeth. "How long does this stuff last?" She growled.

"Like I told you," Mikael grinned. "Just long enough. But don't worry. With what I have planned, the time will just _fly_ by!" He took her in his arms and tried to kiss her, something she vigorously resisted.

"If you think I'm gonna kiss you after you pulled a trick like that on me, you are sorely mistaken," she said.

"Well, if you think that you can just do magic tricks on me and expect me to take it lying down, you are _also_ sorely mistaken," Mikael shot back.

"Well, I'm not going to apologize," Gwen continued. "I won't." She went to wash the goop off her hands in the hope that having it washed off would make her powers retun, but..no such luck. She stomped back into the bedroom and gave Mikael a push. "I hate you," she said.

"Tell me something I don't know," Mikael replied dryly. "And why spend all this time complaining when we could be doing something much more enjoyable?"

"I told you," Gwen said through her teeth. "I'm _not _having sex with you!"

"Well, all right," Mikael conceded. "But you're missing out."

"What makes you say that?" Gwen asked. "I've seen everything already. Nothing could surprise me."

"You _are _a really bad sport," Mikael told her. "Here I am trying to make it so we can have a little fun, and you won't play ball."

"Well, we aren't exactly even, are we?" Gwen asked. "Just you wait until I get my powers back, and _then_ we can play ball."

So they waited. And waited. And waited. Then, Gwen suddenly felt a power surge within herself. Her eyes widened, and she grinned and pushed Mikael against the wall, kissing him as deeply as he had kissed her. "I'm ready to play," she said against Mikael's lips. He put his open hand in the center of her back and pulled her as close to himself as he possibly could, then kissed her back as her hand went under his shirt and up his torso. There was a quick intake of breath from Mikael as Gwen gave a throaty laugh. Then, she remvoved his shirt, grabbed him by the belt, and led him over to the bed, pushing him down on the mattress and holding him there with her knee in his gut, making sure he could see as she used her magic to make a pair of handcuffs appear, which she quickly put on him.

"Do you trust me?" She asked, her finger tracing his lower lip.

"Never," Mikael shook his head.

"Try not to scream," Gwen requested as she unzipped his pants and slipped her hand inside them, stroking him with gentle, circular motions, his erection nearly too big for her hand. She leaned down to kiss him, and she heard him grunt and strain as he tried to sit up.

"What are you trying to do?" She asked.

"Free me and I'll show you," Mikael replied, his breath quickening. Gwen zapped the handcuffs off and immediately, his fingers were in her hair. Gwen got his pants off and then straddled him, kissing his neck. "I'm having fun," she whispered in his ear as he braced himself against an orgasm, yelling into Gwen's shoulder.

When he pulled away to face her, she ran her fingers through his hair. "You're really a tough boy, aren't you?"

With a grin, he flipped her underneath him. "I'm not a boy," he said, pushing into her and making her scream. "I'm a man!"

* * *

"I can't believe Savannah gave you her powers!" Margot cried in amazement as Amy zapped her some tea. "And I can't even ask Regina to do the same for me because of Grandma Mathilde and her damn curse." She shook her hand. "What I wouldn't give to have powers again."

"It's really not all it's cracked up to be,"Amy replied. "And I think it's good for you especially to go without them. You get in trouble enough as it is. If you had powers you'd be robbing banks and stealing shoes just like Savannah."

"Give me more credit, would you?" Margot asked. "I can do better than that."

"So you're telling me you wouldn't rob a bank if you had your powers," Amy said.

"Well, considering that I didn't when I actually had them...no," Margot replied. "So...is Savannah having a bachelorette party?"

"She is, and it's tonight," Amy replied. "But I don't know if it's a good idea."

"If you don't think it's a good idea, then don't come!" Margot replied. "Don't ruin her good time!"

"Oh, pssh!" Amy got out. "Do you think I could honestly stop Savannah from having a bachelorette party if I tried?"

"No," Margot replied. "And that's a good thing! You should go! Have fun!"

"I don't think I have the amount of fortitude it would take to watch my teenage daughter get a lap dance from a male stripper," Amy replied. "Cause you know that's gonna happen."

"Well, if it does, you can hide out in the bathroom and I'll tell you when it's all over," Margot promised. "You won't have to see a thing."

"I don't know if I trust your promises," Amy replied. "You've been known to tell me things are over too early for your own personal amusement."

"This time, I'll respect your need to be in the dark," Margot replied. "I promise. Will you just come?"

"Fine," Amy replied. "I'll come. Why not? But I have to make sure that Selina can watch Vivi. She's been watching Gwen's son King all day while Gwen and Mikael do who knows what. I hope she's not too warn out. That's the only way I can come."

"All right," Margot replied. "Go check and then be ready to party!"

"Oh lord, help me," Amy replied. "For I have no idea about what I've just agreed to."

* * *

"Why won't you come to Putnam's bachelor party with me?" Klaus asked Alistair. "It'll make it less likely I'll kill him."

"I don't even know why you're going since you hate him so much," Alistair replied. "Wouldn't it be better to, oh, I don't know...stay the hell away?"

"There'll be alcohol there, Alistair," Klaus replied. "Lots and lots of alcohol. Have you ever known me to turn down a drink?"

"No," Alistair sighed. "Not even when it would have been a good idea."

"So you'll come?" Klaus asked. "And let yourself have fun for once? James is gonna be there. And I'm sure there'll be other people you can get along with besides me."

"Fine, I'll come," Alistair replied. "But I don't know if I'll enjoy it."

"Oh, you might," Klaus replied. "Give it a chance. You'll see!"

"I'm gonna regret this," Alistair muttered to himself. "I know it!"

* * *

"Oh, my god!" Jonathan cried as Savannah drove up the driveway of the mansion that she'd just recently gotten from Klaus. "It's...it's..." He got out and nearly fell down.

"What's the matter?" Savannah asked, giving him her hand. "Are you okay?"

"It's the house!" Jonathan cried, shock naked on his face. "It's the house! The one I've dreamed about for years. There it is!"

"Well, maybe you should sit down," Savannah suggested. "I'll get you a drink and something to eat, and then we'll get ready for the party."

"All right," Jonathan nodded and sat down at the table in the front yard of the house, drumming his fingers against the table as he waited.

When Savannah appeared, she'd changed her clothes. She descended the steps in a dark blue sundress with a high split in it, heedless of the cold. Her hair, which had been up before, was loosely curled and cascading down her shoulders. "Sorry to have kept you waiting," she said, putting a plate of cookies and lemonade down in front of him.

"Oh, it wasn't so bad to wait," Jonathan replied as he shoveled cookies into his mouth.

"So," she said, sitting down. "Once you swallow, you want to tell me why you're being weird about this house? Do you not like it?"

"Oh, it's fine," Jonathan replied. "But I've...I've seen it before. In dreams, and when we visited Future World Industries when you were a child. It's kind of strange seeing it in real life."

Savannah looked at the white-painted mansion. "It's good you like it," she said. "Cause we're gonna live here for the rest of our lives, you know."

Jonathan chuckled. "I know. I still can't believe that this is our house. Bigger than anything I've ever lived in."

"After you finish your cookies, want to see the inside?" Savannah asked.

"Of course," Jonathan replied. "I'll enjoy reveling in the silence before it turns into a wild place of debauchery for our parties."

Savannah took his hand and led him inside the house.

"Doesn't look like it's been cleaned recently," Jonathan replied and then sneezed as dust kicked up under his feet.

"I know it needs a good cleaning," Savannah replied apologetically. "Maybe it's better upstairs."

She led him up a long, winding staircase and Jonathan chuckled. "You know, the version of this that I saw before said that it would be my father who gave us the mansion. I don't know why that is?"

"I don't know either," Savannah shrugged. "Maybe it was some sort of metaphor for the fact that his dying made us be closer together? You know that telling the future is dicey. Sometimes it's right. sometimes it's not."

Jonathan nodded. "You have a point there."

"Watch your step," Savannah warned just as he was about to place his foot down on the next step. "The wood's a bit rotted in certain places."

"Thanks for the warning," Jonathan replied and hopped up to the next step. "You know, the vision had a stone staircase. But on the bright side, this staircase is a lot wider than the other one was and and we can both go up side by side."

"That's something, I guess," Savannah replied. Jonathan tried to look and see if her dress had a back on it or not. It didn't. Remembering what she said about rotting wood, he put a hand around her waist so she wouldn't fall. It then moved down to her butt and she smirked. "Got a hand on things?" She asked.

"Yes," Jonathan nodded. "Very firmly."

"Good," Savannah replied. When they reached the second floor, he followed after her, running into things a few times cause he was distracted by her body in the dress. They looked in several rooms until they reached the last one. "Here," she said, opening the final door, "will be our bedroom. What do you say we test out the mattress?"

Jonathan smiled. "I guess since we're engaged, I can't protest too much." He took her hand and went inside. "By the way, Mother's ring looks lovely on you." Savannah kissed him, let his hand go, and then ran to jump on the mattress, giving it a little bounce. "Come on!" She urged him. "Join me!" He did and she lay her head on his shoulder. "This is a nice place," she said. "Don't you think?"

"Yes," Jonathan replied. "It's lovely. "But I can't stop myself from being concerned about your father."

"Oh, he's fine with this," Savannah promised. "Otherwise, he wouldn't have given us the house in the first place!" She then undressed him, and he undressed her, and then they rolled around on the mattress for a bit, which, thankfully, held their weights well. The dim ringing of a doorbell, however, made them both sit up.

"Oh, dear," Jonathan replied, trying to smooth his mussed hair. "Who could that be?"

"Maybe it's Marcel or somebody," Savannah replied, throwing on her clothes. "I'll go see!"

"Be careful!" Jonathan called after her. "Remember the rotting wood!"

When he joined her a few minutes later, he was able to confirm that it had indeed been Marcel at the door.

"You're a bit early, aren't you?" Jonathan asked him.

"I thought I'd come and see if you needed any help," Marcel replied. "And from the looks of things around here, you do."

"Oh, nonsense," Jonathan replied and waved his hand, making the house instantly neat. The three of them then began decorating and bringing in booze from Marcel's car.

"Do you really think we all will be imbibing that much?" Jonathan asked, flabbergasted as he realized the amount of alcohol Marcel had brought with him.

"You never know," Marcel replied. "Better safe than sorry."

"I'll go clean up the upstairs," Jonathan told Savannah. "So that you and the ladies will have a neat place to debase yourselves in."

He ran up the stairs and Savannah grinned at Marcel. "I think you scared him," she said. "Where's Susanna?"

"Right here!" Susanna popped in, causing Savannah to start. She looked around and nodded with satisfaction. "This will do," she said. "Anything I can do to help?"

"No," Marcel replied. "We're good. If you wanna help, go assist Jonathan upstairs."

"All right," Susanna nodded. "I gotcha." She ran upstairs, and soon, everything was cleaned up, just as people began to arrive.

"All right," Susanna cried. "The ladies will be upstairs, the boys down here. Everyone clear?"

As mostly everyone had headed straight for bar, she wasn't sure they'd heard her. But she put a sign by the stairway telling the women to zap themselves upstairs and hoped they got the message.

* * *

The next few hours passed by in a blur as everyone drank more and more, and being inebriated caused them to do very crazy things. Savannah was even shocked to come downstairs and see her father and Jonathan with their arms around each other's shoulders as they sang "Do Ya Think I'm Sexy?" with lamp shades on their heads as Alistair cheered harder than anyone. She passed it off as a drunken illusion and stumbled upstairs.

When she reached the room where the other women had settled, she found her aunt Margot blocking the door. "You can't come in unless you have booze," she said, her voice slurred.

"I do," Savannah replied, holding up bottles. "See?" Then she dropped one and Margot swore.

"Sorry," Savannah replied, going in and sitting down as Margot took the other bottle from her.

"Are you okay?" Amy asked.

"Yeah," Savannah nodded as her mother helped her to a chair. "I'm fine."

"Have a seat and don't move," Margot said, then urged Amy to 'do the thing'.

"No," Amy chuckled. "I don't wanna do it! It's too weird!"

"Fine, I will," Susanna replied and zapped in a couple of male strippers and a bunch of singles.

"What if the guys come up here?" Amy asked. "Will that be a problem?"

"No, Dad and Jonathan are singing," Savannah replied. "We'll be fine. Hell, they're probably doing the same thing downstairs, so there's no need to deny ourselves a good time."

"All right," Amy nodded. "Just checking!"

They then passed the bottle of wine around as they watched the strippers gyrate and threw who knew how much money at them. They'd have no idea where they'd been after they were zapped back, but they'd be rich. After they tired of the strippers, they sat around talking. Then, as night fell and the booze finally ran out, they heard someone collapse outside the door. Amy went to open it and Klaus rolled over to stare up at her. "No more alcohol," he got out. "I wanna go home. Where are the keys?"

"Driving's not a good idea," Amy replied and helped him up, turning to her daughter. "Can we stay here?"

"Sure, everyone just lie down somewhere," Savannah replied. Then she got on the bed. "But not here. This is _my_ place." She pulled a blanket over herself and closed her eyes while the women stared at her.

"Go away, all of you!" she cried when she realized they weren't leaving. "I'm _trying_ to sleep!"

Grumbling, all the women left the room to find their own places to sleep while the men did the same on the lower floor and the house lapsed into darkness and silence.


	15. A Father's Worst Nightmare

"Well, this is it," Amy said as she woke up on Savannah's wedding day. "Savannah gets married at one o'clock!"

"Damn, no!" Klaus replied and kept the blanket over his head. "If I don't leave bed, it won't happen."

"Yes, it will," Amy replied, peering down at him. "Just without you. And you know Savannah will want you there to walk her down the aisle."

"I can't see how she expects me to do that when she's marrying who she's marrying," Klaus scowled.

"Oh, come on!" Amy replied and giggled at the picture of him and Jonathan with lamp shades on their heads that had been saved to her phone (she'd gotten it from James, who thought she might enjoy it.) "You'll get along. It seems like you already are!"

"Put that damn picture away," Klaus grumbled. "I don't want to see it."

"Why not?" Amy asked. "I think it's cute!"

"No, it's not!" Klaus grumbled. "It's horribly embarrassing and a prime example of the foolish things I do when I've had too much to drink. And it could have been worse. You wouldn't _believe_ some of the things that have happened as a result of my drinking."

"Well, you don't have to think about it," Amy replied. "Cause nothing _did_ happen." She got out of bed and put a bathrobe on. "Now, I'm gonna go check on Vivi. You keep on sulking. Don't let me get in the way."

Klaus grunted as she shut the door behind her and went to grab her younger daughter and bring her into the kitchen. She was feeding her breakfast as Savannah (who had spent the night at Jonathan's suggestion) came in, her hair all over the place and yawning profusely while she held a hand to her head. "I am miserable!" She cried dramatically.

"Well, how much did you have to drink before you and Jonathan said goodbye for the evening?" Amy asked. "I would have thought that the day after the bachelorette party would have taught you enough about the consequences of alcohol consumption so that you wouldn't overdo it again."

"Well, I'm a slow learner," Savannah replied and sat down. "And some of us don't have powers like some other people, so doing that anti hangover spell wasn't an option."

"But you know what _was_ an option?" Amy asked. "Watching your alcohol intake! I'll get you some coffee. You sound just like your father. My word." She got up to go to the kitchen, leaving Savannah to stare at her little sister, who had just had her first birthday, and had now taken to babbling endlessly things that no one could understand. Aside from the baby food Amy had been feeding her, she also had a separate bowl of Cheerios that she picked up one at a time and stuck in her mouth. She began babbling again and reached out for Savannah to pick her up.

"Can I take Vivi out of her high chair?" Savannah called to her mother.

"If she's getting squirmy, go ahead," Amy replied. "She likes to practice standing by herself, and it's better for her to do it on the carpet. She'll be less likely to hurt herself that way."

"All right," Savannah replied and took her to the living room, setting her on her feet and watching her toddle a few steps before she fell on her bottom and let out a cry of frustration.

"I didn't hurt her!" Savannah cried when both their parents came running in response to Vivi's yell. "She just fell on her bottom."

"Oh," Amy let out a breath and clutched her chest. "She always cries out like that when she falls and it terrifies me."

"I know, right?" Klaus replied. "I should know better by now." He came and sat down next to Vivi, putting her on her feet again and holding on to both her tiny hands. "There you go, darling," he told her with a smile. "There you are, standing up."

Vivi giggled and Savannah sighed, taking the coffee her mother handed her and drinking it down, feeling no heat from it. "Thanks," she told a stunned Amy as she handed her back the cup and cleaning herself up with a spell. "I'm gonna go run to my mansion now. See how things look. I only have a few more hours until I'm a married woman, you know."

"And you won't have to worry about Vivi disrupting the wedding," Amy assured her. "Your Aunt Selina volunteered to watch her in another room so everything will be fine."

"You didn't have to make arrangements for that," Savannah replied. "But thanks anyway." She faced the door and turned the knob. "See you later!"

"If you need help, don't be afraid to call!" Amy yelled after her. "That's what we're here for."

* * *

"What is it that you're going to wear to Savannah's wedding?" Alistair asked Astrid. "I want us to be able to coordinate."

Astrid zapped a full length light blue dress on herself. "This," she said. "I'm gonna assume you have a tie to match it?"

"Of course I do!" Alistair replied. "I have an extensive collection of ties. You know that."

"Are you okay?" Astrid asked. "You've been acting weird ever since Savannah's bachelorette party and that was a month ago. And you_ still_ have to tell me why you were so relieved when you woke up the next morning and found me in bed next to you. Was I not the woman you were expecting?"

"Oh, of course you were," Alistair replied. "It's just that sometimes, in the past, when Klaus and I have...imbibed a lot, we would occasionally wake up with other women in our beds that we'd picked up during our binges. Sometimes, we'd even switch women. I expected something along the same lines to happen at Savannah's party, and I was very relieved when it didn't."

Astrid's eyes widened a little. "You and Klaus were into _swinging_?" She asked. "Well, that's something I never expected to hear from you."

"Are you very ashamed of me?" Alistair asked. "It's not something I'm proud of."

"Ah, no," Astrid shook her head and gave him a gentle spank on the bottom. "You're fine. Go get in your suit and if you need me to help you with your tie, I'll do it."

"All right," Alistair replied. "And Astrid?"

"Yeah?" Astrid replied.

"Do me a favor and completely forget what I've just told you," Alistair told her. "Please?"

Astrid saluted. "You've got it, Professor. I don't remember a thing."

* * *

"How does Savannah look?" Klaus asked as Amy stepped out of their daughter's dressing room half an hour before the wedding.

"Beautiful," Amy replied. "No surprise there."

"Indeed not," Klaus replied and kissed Amy's hand. "She looks like you!"

"Ah, you flatterer!" Amy chuckled. "Just think: Savannah being in a relationship full of honesty for the rest of her life. I don't know if she'll be able to do it."

"Sometimes, when people lie, it's for a good reason," Klaus replied.

"What do you mean?" Amy asked. "What are you talking about?"

"As-as long as we're talking about honesty," Klaus said and sighed. "You remember when you moved into that apartment and woke up every morning feeling really good?"

"Yeah," Amy nodded. "What about it?"

"I did it," Klaus replied. "I was lonely so I'd come to your apartment to have sex with you, then compel you to forget what I did. It was selfish of me, and I'm sorry."

"So that night I got dumped and you came and sat with me...that wasn't a hallucination?" Amy's jaw dropped. "I-I don't know what to say. At least nothing that's fit to say during such a nice occasion as this!"

She stomped off and Klaus called after her and tried to follow, but soon gave up. Sighing to himself, he turned away and headed to the room where all the guests were talking.

"What's the matter?" Alistair asked when he saw Klaus' face. "What did you do to Amy now?"

"I told the truth," Klaus replied. "I told her the truth about how I compelled her to sleep with me when she was living at the apartment and, no surprise, she's angry at me."

"Well, how would you expect her to react?" Alistair asked. "Just smile, give you a hug, and forgive you?"

"That would have been nice," Klaus nodded.

"Well unfortunately, not everyone in this world is as tolerant of your crazy, often evil behavior as I am," Alistair replied. "But I'm proud of you for being honest with her, even if it didn't end well for you." He paused. "I know this will be hard now, but you should probably at least _pretend_ to be happy when you're walking Savannah down the aisle."

"I know," Klaus replied. "How do you suggest I cheer myself up?"

"Well," Alistair cleared his throat. "Vivi and Selina are hanging out in the room next door. Why don't you go and see them?"

"All right," Klaus replied. "At least that's _one_ place I'll get a decent reception." He headed to the next room and knocked on the door frame, causing Selina, who was helping Vivi walk, to look up. "Look, Vivi!" She cried and walked Vivi over to Klaus. "It's your daddy!"

Vivi smiled and reached up for him with one tiny hand, and when Klaus took her in his arms, he held on tight to her, the one person in the world who had yet to be tainted by his evil and, if it were up to him, never would be.

After what seemed like only a few seconds (even though it was longer), Selina cleared her throat and said, "Klaus, I think the wedding is about to start. You should get moving."

"Oh, all right," Klaus replied and reluctantly handed Vivi back. He then met up with Savannah, who was looking lovely in her knee length dress with a white silk skirt and lace sleeves, her long red hair put up with a diamond encrusted hair comb. "Hi, Daddy," she told him. "Are you...are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," Klaus sighed. "Your mother is mad at me. Here's a lesson in life for you, Savannah: Never tell the truth. It'll only make things worse."

"I'm sorry," Savannah replied and hugged him.

"Oh, no need for you to be sorry," Klaus replied. "Never mind about my problems. This is a happy day!" Then the music started and he pasted a painful smile on his face as he led Savannah down the aisle to hand her off to Jonathan Putnam while Marcel and Susanna looked at him with worry from their positions as best man and maid of honor.

He then sat down with Alistair and Astrid on either side of him. They both grasped his wrists tightly when the officiator asked if there was anyone there who had cause why Savannah and Jonathan should not be wed. "Don't you get up," Astrid whispered as Klaus fought being restrained, although the magic of the pair holding him kept him down. "You've already gotten in trouble with Amy. Do you want to make things worse?"

Across the aisle, Amy was sitting between Kol and Margot and trying her best not to notice Klaus' childish behavior.

He didn't settle down until the vows were over, and he gave Jonathan a very pointed glare as he and Savannah came back down the aisle. After Alistair and Astrid released him, he ran back to Selina and Vivi and took his daughter in his arms again.

"So, how'd the wedding go?" Selina asked. "You didn't kill anyone, did you?"

"No, but I wanted to," Klaus replied. "If you can't tell, I'm still opposed to Putnam's union with my daughter!"

"Hey you hated Vince too when Roxie married him," Selina reminded him. "And you're used to him now. Just give it time."

"You make a good point," Klaus admitted. "At least I never had to worry about Putnam getting Savannah pregnant too early. It's not going to erase my hatred for the man completely, but I suppose it will ease it a bit."

"Well, I'm glad I could help," Selina replied. She then gracefully excused herself as Amy approached Klaus, her face stern. "Thank you for not making a scene," she told him. "Though I suppose I owe my thanks for that more to Astrid and Alistair than you."

"You're welcome," Klaus replied. "All right, yell at me. Let me have it."

Amy looked around and led Klaus to an empty room, shutting the door behind her. "You know I'm not happy about what you did," she told him, arms crossed. "It was wrong."

"I know that," Klaus replied. "That's why I told you about it instead of keeping it from you. Give me a little credit, please."

Amy nodded. "All right," she said. "I'll give you a little. But I just...I don't think this should go unpunished. Do you?"

"Oh, I think I've been punished enough today, watching Savannah marry Putnam!" Klaus exclaimed. "Give me a break! And besides, you know as well as I do that if you punish me by leaving, you're also punishing yourself. The reason why you got back together with me was cause you couldn't handle being alone and no other man would take you cause of Vivi."

"Give me a week," Amy replied. "Or, at most, a month to think things over. Then I'll most likely come back. Okay?"

"Fine, love," Klaus replied. "You do whatever you need to do, but remember you're only punishing yourself. Well, and me too. But I'll live. Having Vivi around will make things much more tolerable for me."

"Oh, I'm taking Vivi too," Amy replied. "I don't know if I'm comfortable with you watching her by yourself. We could end up with Savannah, the sequel!"

Klaus opened his mouth, but before he could get a word out, Amy gave him a gentle kiss and said, "I'm sorry. But you know it's better this way. And like I said, it won't be forever." She then told him goodbye and left the room, while Klaus stood there in shock.

* * *

When all the guests had gone, Savannah took a deep breath. "Well, it's nice to be in the quiet," she told Jonathan. "That was insane!"

"And your father is still holding a grudge, did you notice?" Jonathan asked. "He gave me the most deadly look as you and I were walking back up the aisle."

"Were you surprised by that?" Savannah replied. "I was expecting it. Cause I mean, you slept with my mom, for heaven's sake!"

"I slept with your Aunt Margot," Jonathan corrected. "I was only engaged to your mother."

"Well, whatever," Savannah replied. "To Dad, it's all the same thing." She then paused and her eyes lit up as she realized it was now time for her wedding night. "Race you upstairs!" She told Jonathan. "Last one up has to undress the other!" She began running toward the stairs that led up to the second floor, but Jonathan stopped her. "Just a minute now," he said. "Wait."

Savannah groaned. "Oh, come on!" She cried. "We're married now. I've waited long enough!"

"I just want to do one more thing," Jonathan replied. "Go outside."

"You wanna have sex outside?" Savannah asked. "That's unexpected, but I'm into it!"

"No, that's not what I said," Jonathan shook his head. "I just asked you to go outside."

With a sigh, Savannah stomped outside and Jonathan followed her. He left the door open and picked Savannah up, carrying her back into the house. "You didn't think I was going to let the day go on without doing this, did you?" Jonathan asked. He then carried her up the stairs and placed her on her feet in their bedroom. Then, he took a deep breath, grabbed Savannah again, pulled her against himself, and kissed her, hard. He pulled away a few seconds later, then kissed her again.

"Are you all right?" Savannah asked.

"Yes," Jonathan nodded. "I'm fine." He shut the bedroom door and helped her get out of her dress which, he still, even in the throes of passion, hung up neatly on a hanger and put in the closet. Then Savannah removed his suit and they both jumped in bed together.

"I hope this mattress is firm," Savannah giggled. "I know we tested it before, but not when we were feeling like _this!"_

She'd expected his lovemaking to be gentlemanly and leisurely as it had been in their few previous encounters, but this time, it seemed as if an animal had been let loose. Instead of gently removing Savannah's underclothes, he ripped them off her, threw them on the floor, and wasted no time pushing into her. This caused her head to bang against the wall, and as she cried out in pain, his expression changed for a moment. "I'm sorry," he cried, seeming more like his old self. "Are you hurt?"

"No, I'm fine," Savannah replied.

"Good," Jonathan nodded and pulled out of her before pushing in again, a process he repeated several times, which left Savannah gasping for breath and exhausted.

As she panted, he loomed over her, a smirk on his face. "Am I tiring you?" He asked.

"No," Savannah shook her head. "Not on your life."

"Good," Jonathan replied. "Cause I'm not done yet." He then slipped his tongue inside her and swirled it around, which made Savannah giggle cause it tickled. Another orgasm sent her back against the pillow from her sitting position, and after Jonathan resurfaced, he just took her in his arms and hugged her.

"What the hell was all that?" Savannah asked in amazement. "If that's what happens when you don't have sex for a week, just...wow!"

"I know I was a bit of a beast," Jonathan replied as she stroked his hair.

"Don't you apologize," Savannah warned him. "I like it rough, really! Maybe we could try it with handcuffs next time. She grinned. "You being handcuffed to the bed while I do a number on _you!_ The exact thing my father is having nightmares about tonight."

"Well, I would have thought it was what we just did that would give him nightmares," Jonathan replied.

"Oh, it's not one or the other," Savannah smiled. "It's both!" Jonathan kissed her again. "Shall I be calling you Mrs. Putnam?" He asked her. "Or are you one of those ladies that doesn't go for that?"

"I don't mind being called Mrs. Putnam," Savannah replied. "As long as the Mikaelson is in there too."

"But our children will be Putnams," Jonathan replied.

"No," Savannah shook her head. "That's not how it works. They'd be Mikaelsons cause they take _my_ last name. And that would make _you_ Mr. Mikaelson. Jonathan Mikaelson." She grimaced. "That sounds weird."

"I don't think your father would enjoy me sharing his name," Jonathan replied. "Especially since he's not even a warlock. I will remain Jonathan Putnam, thank you. And you can be whatever you choose."

"Fine," Savannah replied. "I will be Savannah Mikaelson Putnam. That sounds better than Savannah Putnam Mikaelson."

"Damn matriarchy," Jonathan sighed. "Makes things so difficult sometimes."

"Okay, we'll be unconventional," Savannah said at last. "I mean, we're not a typical magical couple, so why should we name ourselves like one? I will be a Putnam, and so will the kids we have a long time from now."

"They will?" Jonathan asked with a smile.

"Yeah," Savannah nodded. "Just don't let it go to your head."

"Oh, I won't," Jonathan replied and ran his fingers through her hair. "I promise. And do we really have to wait so long for kids?"

"It won't be forever," Savannah assured him. "But we just started having sex again and I wanna enjoy it without distractions. Don't you? At least for a little while."

"Well, when you put it that way," Jonathan replied, "I am willing to wait however long you require."


	16. Coming Out Of Hiding

"I hope Selina got the message that they're letting King's class out of school early today," Gwen said. "I tried to call her, but I kept getting her machine."

"It's times like this that I ask myself why we decided to trust her in the first place," Mikael said from the bed. "She can be unreliable. Perhaps one of us should go and pick him up ourselves?"

"No, I'm sure she'll pick him up," Gwen replied. "She's never let us down before. And it was your idea to make her King's nanny!"

It was then that they heard the voice. "Hello?" Selina called out. "Gwen? Sir? I have King!" Then, a little blond boy zipped away from her and right into Gwen's arms. "Hi, Mommy!" He cried and looked up at her with big blue eyes.

"Did you have a good day at school?" Gwen asked and kissed his head.

"Yes!" King nodded.

"Did you do everything better than everyone else?" Mikael asked.

"Yes," King nodded and approached his father, who ruffled his hair. "Good boy, son," he replied.

Selina turned to go and Gwen said, "Wait a minute!"

"What?" Selina asked. "Did I forget something?"

"No," Gwen replied and came to stand next to her, eying the green suit she was wearing. "I just want to say how much I love your suit! It's gorgeous!"

Mikael nodded. "I _have_ noticed a marked improvement in your wardrobe since you came to work for me."

"Work for _us_," Gwen corrected.

"What difference does it make?" Mikael snapped.

"It makes plenty of difference," Gwen snapped. "King is _our_ child. Not just yours."

King gave his parents a long look and ran back into Selina's arms. "Can I come home with you?" He asked her. "It's too noisy around here with all the yelling!"

"We're done!" Gwen told him. "We promise. You know your father and I snap at each other sometimes. It doesn't really mean anything."

"I know," King replied. "But I still don't like it."

Mikael rolled his eyes. "For the love of..."

"Shut up!" Gwen commanded him. "If you say one more thing..."

"I think I'll get a drink," Mikael replied. "That's a good idea." He left the bedroom and King left Selina's arms to go back into Gwen's. "Now that I'm done with human school, can I learn some magic?" He asked his mother.

"Sure," Gwen replied.

"I think I'll go now," Selina replied. "If you don't need me for anything else."

"Just a minute!" King said, pulling her away from the door the best he could. "I want to make you a thing!"

"Okay," Selina replied. "What is it?"

King put up his hands and said, "Using all my power, make a flower!" And for a few seconds, a small red flower appeared in his hands before it burned to a crisp and all King had to give Selina was the burnt stem. "Sorry," he apologized. "It was supposed to be pretty."

"It's all right," Selina replied. "You're new at this. At least you didn't get hurt."

King smiled and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek before she left the house and drove away.

"Are you okay?" Gwen asked King.

"Yes, I am," King replied. "I'll be fine. I think I'm ready to learn magic now!"

"Well, good!" Gwen replied. "And let's teach you something extra spectacular so all the drinking your father is doing will be worth it."

"How come Daddy doesn't want me to use my powers?" King asked.

"Oh, don't mind him," Gwen replied. "If you wanna use your powers, you can use your powers, and there's nothing wrong with that, okay?"

"All right," King replied, putting his hand in his mother's. "Let's go!"

* * *

"So how was Europe?" Margot asked as she met Amy and Vivi at the airport. "You said you were only going for a month and that was five years ago!"

"I know," Amy flushed a little. "I kinda didn't want to come back. You know why. And the schools in Europe are much better anyway."

"I can speak three whole languages!" Six-year-old Vivi chimed in, holding up three fingers. Although this was the first time she remembered meeting her aunt in person, she'd talked to her family over video chats and on the phone so she knew who Margot was. She gave her aunt a hug and smiled. "Are we going to your house?" She asked. "So I can meet Uncle Kol and Regina?"

"Well, just as soon as we leave this airport!" Margot replied. "They've been waiting for you. We all have."

"Even my daddy?" Vivi asked. "Where's he?"

"You'll see him eventually," Amy told her. "I have to have a talk with him first."

"Okay," Vivi nodded.

They all headed out to Margot's car and once Vivi was shut in, Margot said to Amy, "Did I hear Vivi ask about her father? I would have thought you told her Klaus was dead or something."

"Now that wouldn't be fair," Amy replied. "He was very good with her. And I think five years of me being gone with Vivi when I promised him we'd be gone a month at most is punishment enough."

"Just to prepare you," Margot warned, "From what Kol has told me about Klaus' romantic activities, he hasn't exactly been a monk these last five years."

"And you think I expected him to?" Amy asked. "I'm not a fool, Margot!"

"Well, I just don't want you running back to Europe because of that, okay?" Margot replied. "These last five years without you were hard enough!"

It was then that Vivi opened the door. "Are you two getting in or not?"

"We're coming," Amy promised. "Just a minute." She and Margot gave each other one last long look before they got in the driver and passenger seats and drove to Kol and Margot's where Amy let Vivi out. "I'll be back to pick you up later," she told her daughter. "Have fun!"

"I will!" Vivi cried. "Tell Daddy I missed him!"

* * *

Amy smiled as she drove away and back to the house and the man she'd avoided for the last five years. She unlocked the front door with her key and then called out to her husband so he would have time to end any dalliances he might be in the middle of in a discreet manner before she saw him. She heard nothing in response, so she steeled herself and headed to their bedroom, planning to be understanding about anything or anyone that she saw. But when she opened the door, all she saw was Klaus, in the dark, holding onto a beer.

"Didn't you hear me?" She asked. "Klaus, are you okay?" She turned on the light and gasped when she saw what a mess the room was, and that there was even a woman's black lace bra visible under the bed.

"Is there a five year accumulation of beer bottles in here?" She asked, picking them up.

"I'm sorry the room's not more presentable," Klaus replied. "I had no idea when you were coming back, and no need otherwise to be neat."

"I understand," Amy replied. "I know I said that I was only gonna be gone a month with Vivi, but it turned out to be...a hell of a lot longer. I'm sorry. And I'm _really_ surprised you're not mad at me. I thought you would be."

"Well, I waited the month like you said, and after that, I told myself that maybe it was better for you and Vivi to stay away," Klaus replied. "Of course, I had her room fixed up in the unlikely scenario that you _would_ come back. But I really didn't think I'd see the two of you ever again."

"You fixed up Vivi's room?" Amy asked in amazement. "Can I...can I see?"

"Of course," Klaus replied. He went to put some pants on over his boxers, and while he did that, Amy cleaned the room. When he came out, he was amazed. "What's happened here?" He asked.

"I-I did some cleaning," Amy replied. "Probably the last thing I'll be doing with these powers. Savannah will probably be beating down the doors to have them back once she knows I'm here. She's probably pissed at me for leaving with them when the deal was that I would give them back to her after the wedding."

"She hasn't mentioned anything like that," Klaus replied. "But then again, she and Putnam have been pretty busy."

Amy's eyes widened. "It's been five years. We don't have any grandchildren that I don't know about, do we?"

"No, relax," Klaus grinned. "We don't. And we might not ever, at least from her. Who knows?"

Amy let out a breath and tried to be calm. "Good," she said. "By the way, Vivi says she missed you."

"How could she?" Klaus asked. "She's never_ met _me. At least not that she can remember. And I would have figured you told her I was dead or something."

Amy frowned. "You know, that's what Margot said too. But I wouldn't do that. You were good to her. And that's exactly what she knows. So, can I see Vivi's room now?"

"All right," Klaus replied. "If you want to." He led her to Vivi's rather sizable bedroom, where it was obvious a change had taken place. Her crib had been replaced with a canopy bed that had light blue blankets and long, gauzy curtains on either side. Her changing table was now a white wood desk and matching chair. The rocking chair was still by the door, but now it was next to a bookshelf full of every children's book imaginable. A collection of stuffed animals was on another shelf.

"Oh, my god!" Amy breathed. "Klaus, this is just..."

"Too much?" Klaus finished. "I know I went a little overboard, but I _do _have five years of birthdays and holidays to make up for."

"I was going to say that you did a wonderful job," Amy replied. "If you hadn't redone everything, we would have had to anyway...wait!" Amy's eyes lit up. "All that stuff Margot asked me about Vivi's color preferences and favorite books...she was asking for _you_, wasn't she? So you could do all _this."_

"Well, yes," Klaus replied. "Not very subtle, but at least I got what I needed. Do you think she'll like it?"

Amy nodded. "Well, considering that it's full of stuff she likes, I think she will. It's a lot nicer than what we had at our apartment, obviously."

"And when you were at the apartment, were there other people there besides the two of you who would...spend the night?" Klaus asked.

Amy nodded. "You have an errant bra under your bed, I had men's shoes and socks and the occasional pair of boxers under mine. Though of course I made sure they were gone before Vivi saw. I wasn't celibate and I didn''t expect you to be either."

"Well, I wasn't," Klaus replied. "My evenings were usually spent with alcohol and hookers. Sometimes one, sometimes two, and one time, even three. It just depended on how lonely I was."

Amy flushed a little. "I'm glad you found a way to occupy yourself," she replied. "But I didn't need that much detail."

"Oh, right," Klaus replied. "Sorry." He took her hand and kissed it. "So, how's Vivi?"

"She's good," Amy nodded. "Fine, happy, well-adjusted. She wants to see you. Wanna come to Kol and Margot's with me? That's where she is."

"Of course," Klaus replied. "Just let me finish getting presentable and then we can go."

* * *

After Klaus was all the way dressed, he and Amy headed over to Kol and Margot's. "So, have you two talked?" Kol asked Amy with a smirk as they sat down in front of the fireplace. "Have you two talked? How mad at him are you right now?"

"Oh, my gosh, Daddy!" fourteen year old Regina burst out. "Can't you see that no one is mad at anyone? Don't start trouble where there isn't any."

"Well, _excuse_ me," Kol replied. "Look at you talking to me in a tone."

"If she hadn't said anything, I would have," Margot snapped. "Shush."

"You don't have to worry," Amy said, patting Klaus' knee. "We _did_ talk, and we're both fine. Okay?"

"Good," Margot replied.

"So, where's Vivi?" Klaus asked, rubbing his hands.

Margot smiled as she called out, "Vivi, your father is here!"

Then, Klaus heard a little voice that was music to his ears. "Daddy is here?" Vivi called. "Yay!"

She then ran down the stairs from the second floor with so much enthusiasm that she tripped and tumbled down the last few stairs, face planting on the carpet. Klaus expected her to burst into tears, but instead, she just stood up, brushed herself off, said "That was painful," and strode over to her father. "Is my face bleeding?" She asked.

"No," Klaus told her. "You're beautiful."

"And you're my daddy, aren't you?" Vivi continued.

"Yes," Klaus nodded. "I am."

"I know I'm bigger now," Vivi said next. "But can you pick me up like you are in all the pictures?" She held up her arms and Klaus picked her up, burying his head in her shoulder and holding her head in his hand as he had when she was a baby, but now, instead of more sparse amounts of red hair, her head was covered with it, hair that was long and beautiful, just like her sister's and her mother's. He was so happy to be holding her again that he didn't mind when she teared up and blew her nose on his shoulder.

"Vivi, sweetie," Amy said at last. "Would you like a tissue?"

Vivi brought her head up and saw what she'd done to Klaus' shirt. "Sorry, Daddy," she apologized.

"It's okay," Klaus assured her. "I have others." He put her down and Vivi said, "So have I met everybody now, Mom?"

"There's just one more person you need to see," Amy replied. "But I don't know when that will happen."

"Savannah?" Klaus asked.

"Yep," Amy nodded. "Savannah."


	17. The King and the Peasant Girl

As King strode into class, he found that his usual seat on the storytelling carpet was already occupied by a redheaded girl he'd never seen before. "Move," he said, giving her a push. "This is _my _spot!"

"Says you!" Vivi replied. "I got here first!" She then pulled his hair and spat in his face, which caused the other kids to cheer. No one had ever stuck up to King before, at least not really. King was his name and the classroom was his kingdom.

"I'll give you _one_ chance to apologize," he told her.

"Never," Vivi shook her head. "You're a big stupid head! This is my spot and I'm not moving!"

Just as King was about to challenge her more, the teacher emerged from the bathroom on the opposite side of the room. "King!" She cried when she saw him. "Have you met your new friend? This is Vivi."

"What a stupid name," King replied.

Vivi scoffed. "Not as stupid as _yours_!"

"Now, now," their teacher replied. "Let's not fight. Take your seats, please. King, I would prefer if you were in a spot that was on the other side of the carpet from Vivi."

King rolled his eyes and went and sat on the other side of the storytelling carpet. He knew his father would be disappointed in him for just taking his teacher's command lying down, but his mother had requested that he not start any major fights or kill people, so he didn't know who to listen to. He glared at Vivi all through story time while she sat their in his spot, a smug smile on her face.

* * *

He hoped that his teacher would forget she'd heard him and Vivi fight, but apparently she didn't, and got it in her head to make the two of them be each others' buddies for the field trip they were going on that day (The teacher had called to get Amy's permission the night before so she was allowed to go, even though it was only her first day.) It was even worse when the teacher announced that all sets of buddies had to hold hands so no one would get lost.

"You touch me and I bite off your hand!" Vivi snapped at King.

"I wouldn't touch you and your girl germs for a million bazillion dollars!" King replied. But when the teacher looked at them, they reluctantly held hands. However, once she looked away, King let her go. He locked eyes with her and said, "You go be someone else's partner."

Vivi frowned. "What are you doing? Are you trying to make me do what you say? That's not gonna happen."

"But you're supposed to!" King replied, shock clear in his voice.

Vivi smiled. "My daddy's a vampire," she whispered. "Just like yours, apparently. Joke is on you." Then she blew a raspberry at him and pulled him after her onto the bus. As she pulled, she accidentally let go too soon and he hit his face on one of the steps. When he lifted it up, it was apparent that he was bleeding. He began to yell at Vivi, but she made no indication that she was aware of what happened until King started walking down the aisle of the bus and she said, "What happened to your face?"

"It's your fault!" He snapped. "You let me go and I fell!"

"Well, I didn't mean to make you hurt yourself," Vivi replied. "You just did!"

"Not you two again," the teacher sighed. "King, go have a seat. No standing in the aisle."

King rolled his eyes and urged another boy who was sitting alone out of his chair so he could sit there. Then the bus began moving and the teacher announced that they would be making a visit to a zoo to see the animals, and they would be having a team scavenger hunt with their buddies to find all the animals in the zoo that they'd learned about in class. When they arrived at the zoo, everyone got off the bus single file and took each other's hands. Of course King was reluctant to do the same thing with Vivi until he noticed a large puddle a few steps away from the bus. He took her to the square before the puddle, then shoved her in face first. When she got up, she was dripping wet and angry. She zapped herself dry, and when the teacher gave them a list of the animals they were supposed to find, and told them that she'd be escorting them around the zoo personally instead of leaving them in the care of a parent, that was enough for Vivi. She took the teacher's arm so they were standing eye to eye and compelled her to stay still and not move, then, knowing that it might not end well, she made every animal on the list appear out of thin air except one.

"What about a pig?" King asked. "You didn't cross that off the list."

Vivi gave him a long, hard stare, and then made a check. "Now I can cross it off," she said. "Cause I just looked at one."

King rolled his eyes as Vivi unfroze the teacher, showed her the finished list, and she and King got back on the bus to wait for everyone else.

"I could zap us home," King offered Vivi. "If you want."

"You mean you're a witch too?" Vivi asked. "That's really weird!"

"I am _not_ a witch!" King cried. "That's what_ girls _are called and I'm a boy!"

"Well, what are boy witches called?" Vivi asked.

"I don't know," King replied. "But_ never_ call me a witch again!"

"And what will you do if I don't listen to you?" Vivi asked. "Punch me in the face?"

King narrowed his eyes. "I'm thinking about it," he replied. Then, after a few more minutes of silence, he told her goodbye and zapped himself home, leaving Vivi alone to explain his absence. She didn't like that boy, and he was definitely someone that she would be complaining to her parents about when she got home.

* * *

"So how was Europe?" Jonathan asked Amy a few days later. "I assume it was wonderful since you were gone so long."

"I know I was," Amy replied, looking guiltily at Savannah. "I'm sorry."

"It's okay," Savannah replied. "Even though you kept my powers five years longer than you were supposed to, I managed."

"And actually, as far as that goes," Jonathan said, "We were wondering if you wanted to keep them."

"Savannah's powers?" Amy asked. "No, I can't. It's not right!"

"See?" Savannah asked. "I told you she'd say 'No'."

"But it didn't hurt to ask, did it?" Jonathan wanted to know. "You've done an admirable job living without your powers. Do you really want to go back to using them the way you were, instead of letting your poor mother go powerless when she uses them for good?"

"Oh, I won't use them for evil," Savannah assured him. "Lighten up!"

"Are you ready to meet your sister again?" Amy asked her.

"I'm surprised Daddy is letting this go on while Jonathan is here," Savannah replied. "I thought he would be worried she'd be lured by Jonathan's charms too. It's a pretty easy thing to have happen, you know."

"Oh, I don't think you need to worry about that," Amy assured Savannah. "She's too worked up about this little boy in her class to really focus on anything else."

Just then, a really grumpy Vivi came stomping in and Amy, in an attempt to cheer her up, said, "Vivi, this is your sister, Savannah."

"Hi," Vivi said quickly without a lot of feeling. Then she looked at Jonathan with interest. "Who are _you_?"

"His name is Jonathan," Savannah replied. "He's my husband. And a warlock."

"What's a warlock?" Vivi asked, coming closer to her sister.

"That's a boy witch," Savannah interpreted.

"Oh!" Vivi's face lit up and she gave a little hop. "That's what King is!"

"Who's King?" Amy asked. "The boy you don't like?"

"Yes," Vivi replied, pouting. "He's not a nice boy."

"Well, be nice to him anyway," Amy urged. "You're not gonna like everyone in this world."

"If you told Dad, he would pulverize him for you," Savannah told her sister.

"He would?" Vivi asked, a wicked twinkle in her eye.

"Savannah!" Amy yelled. "Don't tell your sister stuff like that!"

"Why not?" Savannah asked. "It's true!"

Vivi looked at Jonathan. "Are _you_ a nice boy?" She asked.

"I try to be," Jonathan nodded.

"Good," Vivi smiled. "I think I like you."

"Just don't tell your daddy that," Amy advised her. "It might make him feel threatened."

"Can I stay home with Daddy tomorrow?" Vivi asked Amy. "Do I have to go to school? The teacher would probably like a day off from being around me and King fighting."

Amy sighed and was quiet for a long time. "Fine," she said. "You can have a day at home with your daddy. After I dragged you off to Europe without a word to him for five years, I suppose I owe him that much."

"He'll be so _happy!" _Vivi exclaimed and ran off to Klaus and Amy's room to wait.

"What a sweet little girl," Jonathan observed. "She seems to have a much calmer temperament than some other people I'm not gonna mention."

"I was never too bad," Savannah replied. "And it's not like it killed you to be around me or anything."

"I like a challenge," Jonathan told her and took her in his arms. "Lucky for you. Now, about letting your mother have your powers..."

"I'll call Astrid tomorrow and set up a time to switch them back," Amy replied. "Now that Vivi is no longer a baby, I don't need them anymore."

"All right," Savannah replied. "When you get a time, just let me know. Thanks, Mom."

Amy nodded. "You're welcome," she replied.

* * *

Later that night, after Vivi had been put to bed and Amy and Klaus were getting ready for bed themselves, that's when Amy decided to tell Klaus the news.

"I have a surprise for you," she told him. "I think you'll like it."

"If it's something under your clothes," Klaus replied without looking up, "that's not really the sort of surprise I'm in the mood for right now, as beautiful as you are."

"I suppose I deserve that," Amy replied. "But that's not the sort of surprise I meant. Vivi asked for permission to stay home from school with you tomorrow, and I told her she could. Would that bother you?"

Klaus looked up, a big smile on his face as he grabbed Amy in a bone-crunching hug. "Thank you!" He cried. "Thank you, thank you, thank you!" He then began kissing her neck and unbuttoning her pajama top. Amy kissed him deeply and then smiled. "Seems like someone's ready for what's under my clothes, huh?"

She giggled as Klaus undressed her, smiled, and said, "Yes. Maybe just a little."


	18. Two Sides To Every Story

Vivi was awakened the next morning by Klaus opening the curtains on her bed. As the curtains pulled apart, the groggy little girl opened her mouth to cry out, but was then scooped up by her father, who whispered, "Good morning, princess," in her ear. She saw the time on her clock and said, "Look at that! It's past school time and I'm still here!"

"Well, you asked your mother's permission," Klaus replied as he carried her to the kitchen. "Remember?"

"Yeah, I do," Vivi replied. "I just can't believe she let me do it."

"So how's school?" Klaus asked. "You haven't really told me."

"It's fine," Vivi replied. "There's a boy I don't like, though. He's kind of a stupid head. I told Savannah and she said that if I told you what a horrible person he was, you'd pulverize him for me." She paused and looked hopeful. "Would you?"

Klaus eyed her expression and sighed, running his fingers through his hair. "And so it starts," he told himself tiredly.

"What starts?" Vivi asked, coming to hug him. "Daddy, what's the matter?"

"Why do you want me to pulverize somebody?" Klaus asked as he held onto her with one hand cupping her head and the other around her waist. "You know that's not good, right?"

"Yes," Vivi nodded. "But if you met King, you'd want to pulverize him too."

Klaus looked into his younger daughter's angelic face while trying to picture her pulverizing anyone and he just couldn't do it. Savannah, sure. Her little sister, not so much. He picked her up and took her to the kitchen, where he got her some blood and then asked her what she wanted for breakfast.

"I can get it," she said and zapped herself up a large ice cream sundae with two spoons. "Wanna share?" She asked, offering one of the spoons to her father.

Klaus just smiled and took the spoon, sticking it into the ice cream. "You do know that your mother wouldn't like you having ice cream for breakfast," he said.

"Well, yeah," Vivi smiled. "But Mommy isn't here. This can be our secret."

Klaus smirked. "I'm really curious to know how you got to be such a devious little child," he said.

"I don't know," Vivi shrugged. "What does 'devious' mean?"

"It means that you're willing to do things differently than normal when your mother isn't here," Klaus replied. "Usually in a way that is somewhat naughty."

"What's so naughty about eating ice cream?" Vivi asked.

"Well, I don't know," Klaus replied and stuck his spoon in the bowl again.

When the sundae was gone, Klaus said, "Now, tell me more about this boy you want dead."

"Does that mean you're gonna kill him?" Vivi asked.

"No," Klaus replied. "I don't kill little kids. If you want him dead, you'll have to do it yourself, a long time from now."

"Will you teach me hunting?" Vivi asked. "Please?"

Klaus shook his head. "That's another thing that you'll learn a _long_ time from now. You're too young to learn it at the moment."

"Oh," Vivi looked sad. "Okay."

"Come on and smile for me," Klaus urged. "I'm sure there's something that doesn't involve killing things that you want to do with yourself."

"Maybe," Vivi replied. "But I don't know."

"Oh, I'm sure we'll think of something," Klaus replied, taking her hand and leading her to her room. "Because we're smart that way."

* * *

"Your mother says you came home early yesterday and Selina called in a panic cause she had no idea where you were," Mikael told King after Selina dropped him off later that day. "Would you care to explain yourself?"

"Am I in trouble?" King asked.

"Well, that depends," Mikael replied firmly. "Start talking."

"Okay," King nodded. "There's this girl at school who's new. Her name is Vivi, and she's a vampire and a magic person just like me. And a giant pain! Luckily, she wasn't in class today, but I'll still have to see her stupid face tomorrow, probably."

"I understand where you're coming from, son," Mikael replied sympathetically. "When I met your mother, she was a giant pain too. Still is sometimes, as a matter of fact."

"Is that why you and she yell at each other all the time?" King asked.

"Perhaps," Mikael replied impatiently. "But enough about me. What does this girl look like?"

"She's got lots of ugly red hair," King replied, wrinkling his nose. "And she called me a pig! Can you believe that?"

"Are you going to just take her insults lying down?" Mikael asked.

"Of course not," King replied. "But since she's just like me, how can I beat her?"

"Give me time to think," Mikael replied. "But be careful to keep control of the situation. If you let her have it, bad things could happen."

"What sorts of bad things?" King asked. "How do you know?"

"Cause unfortunately, I let it happen to me," he replied. "It's my greatest source of shame."

"Really?" King asked. "What was the lady like? Was she crazy?"

"Oh, sorry," Gwen said when she stuck her head in the room. "I didn't know I was interrupting anything. I was going to make cocoa and I wondered if you wanted any."

"I do!" King replied. Then, just as Gwen was about to go, Mikael said, laughter obvious in his voice, "Gwendolyn, stop."

"What?" Gwen asked. "_Do_ you want cocoa or is that not tough enough for you."

"No, I don't want any," Mikael replied. "But I was just telling King about how important it is to be on your guard regarding people of the opposite sex."

"He said that he met a lady once and she ruined his life cause he let her have power!" King added. "And she might be crazy."

"Now, now," Mikael said with a grin. "That's not the way to talk about your mother, King."

The little boy's eyes widened and he turned to face his father. "The lady you fell in love with is Mommy again?"

"Well, yes," Mikael replied. "Who else would it be?"

Gwen rolled her eyes and held out her hand to her son. "Would you like to come and help me?" She asked him.

"Okay!" King replied, hopping off of Mikael and Gwen's bed to follow his mother out of the room.

"So what were you and your father talking about?" Gwen asked. "In addition to me being crazy, I mean."

"When I said that, I didn't know he was talking about_ you_," King replied. "I thought he was talking about somebody else!"

"Oh, of course you did," Gwen replied.

"There's a bad girl in my class," King replied. "I mean, she wasn't there today, and I was very happy about that, but she'll probably be back tomorrow, so I have to be prepared."

"Prepared for what?" Gwen laughed. "She's just a little girl. You're not going to war."

"If you think that, you never met her," King replied. "She has powers like me! And I tried to compel her, but it didn't work cause she's a vampire too!"

"I can't believe you actually tried to compel someone at school," Gwen sighed. "Did your father tell you to do that?"

"He says I shouldn't put up with trouble from anyone, and this girl was irritating me!" King replied. "It's not like I got caught, or anything. She even called me a pig!"

Gwen chuckled in spite of herself. "I'm sure she had her reasons," she said. "I'm glad that this girl doesn't seem like the sort to just lie down and take it when you boss her around and act like a royal highness just because your father told you you could."

"At least the_ other _kids are still scared of me," King replied. "That's a good thing."

Gwen was about to chide him for this, then she smiled. "It _is_ sort of nice to be feared, isn't it?" She asked. "Just swear to me that the only people you'll require fear from are the humans who couldn't stand up to you if they tried. I don't want you to get into a fight with someone just as powerful or more powerful than you, and get hurt, even if you'll heal from it eventually. Will you promise me that?"

"Okay," King said after a moment. "Just don't tell Daddy you made me promise that, otherwise he won't be happy cause he wants me to fight Vivi in any case." He sighed. "I probably shouldn't, though, cause she's a girl, right?"

"Well, if she starts stuff with you, since you're as strong as she is, I'm not going to say you can't fight back because of some antiquated, foolish idea that girls are weak and shouldn't be fought with. I mean, you should have seen some of the marks I left on your father before he asked me to move in with him," Gwen chuckled. "But even with that allowance, I still want you to be careful, okay?"

"All right," King replied as Gwen kissed him on the top of the head. "Can we make cocoa now?"

"Oh, I completely forgot we were going to do that!" Gwen cried. "Do you want to do it the slow way or the fast way?"

"Fast way!" King cried, and with a jab of his finger, made a cup of cocoa appear that had so many big marshmallows crammed in it that it was overflowing all over the counter.

Gwen went and wiped up the mess, and said, "Be careful. You use too much power at once, things could end up being a problem."

"Sorry," King replied as he watched his mother zap up two perfectly portioned mugs of cocoa.

"Can I have marshmallows in mine?" King asked. Gwen zapped some in his cup, and then the two of them went to sit at the table. "So," she said as he sipped his cocoa. "When you see that little girl, what are you gonna do?"

"Not pick on her unless she picks on me, and if she does, I kick her butt," King replied, his face serious.

"Not exactly what I had in mind, but close enough," Gwen replied.

King nodded and drank his cocoa, all the while thinking of the evil stuff he would do to Vivi if she ever tried to pick a fight with him again.

* * *

The next day, King breathed a sigh of relief when he walked into class and there was no Vivi in sight. He sat down and began pulling things out of his bag, but just as he did that, he felt his chair being pulled out from underneath him so that he landed hard on his butt on the floor.

He turned around and there she was with a big smirk on her face. "Hello, your highness!" She cackled. "Did you miss me?"

"I'm not gonna make that mistake again!" He cried and took a swing at her. But she sped away and he missed.

"Damn it, stay still so I can hit you!" He cried in frustration. "You started it so my mom said it's okay for me to fight back!"

"What do you think I am, an idiot?" Vivi replied, and disappeared again as King took another swing. Finally she stopped and King got in a punch. Unfortunately, it was just as the teacher came in. "King, my goodness!" She cried, a hand to her mouth. "What did we say about hitting?"

"Vivi started stuff with me!" King cried. "And Mom told me that not hitting girls just because they're girls is stupid. I have a right to fight back."

"Vivi, is this true?" The teacher asked her. "Did you start the fight with King?"

"Yes," Vivi nodded. "I did."

"I want you both to go to the office, then," their teacher said. "King, you know where it is. Show Vivi the way. Hopefully, it's not a direction she's going to have to memorize like you did. I'm very disappointed in you both."

King opened the door and gestured out into the hall while smirking at Vivi. "Lady troublemakers first!" He crowed.

Vivi scowled at him and went ahead of him out the door. "I hate you," she said as they made their way to the principal's office."

"I hate you too," King replied. "But I have to admit, I was sorta bored without you. But just a little."

"You were?" Vivi asked. "I was too...also just a little." Then they lapsed into silence as they made their way to the principal's office.


	19. A Game of Cat And Mouse

"Vivi got into a fight with a little boy the other day and got sent to the principal," Amy told Klaus. "Was this something you encouraged?"

"It wasn't his fault!" Vivi cried. "He's always telling me I have to wait and do the bad stuff later cause I'm not big enough now. I got in the fight with King all by myself, and originally the teacher was only gonna blame him, but I thought you'd want me to be honest, so I told her that I started everything and that's why I got sent to the principal."

"What would possess you to start a fight with someone?" Amy sighed. "I'm really starting to question my choice to put you in public school."

"Apparently, if we met him, we would understand why she fights with him," Klaus replied dryly. "He seems to be a particularly annoying person who has the skills to turn our usually sweet, lovable daughter into an angry, violent person."

"Don't I get any credit for being honest about my part in the fight?" Vivi asked.

Amy sighed. "I suppose that was a good thing. But I just...I want to find out this boy's number so the two of you, his mother, and myself can have a talk. The two of you shouldn't be fighting. It's not good."

"But _Mommy!_" Vivi whined. "I don't want to talk to King!" She turned to appeal to her father. "Would you tell Mommy that I shouldn't have to do this?" She asked. "Please?"

"Why don't I be the one to go talk to the boy's mother?" He volunteered.

"You?" Amy asked in surprise. "I don't know if that's a good idea."

"Why not?" Klaus asked. "I'm Vivi's parent too. I can handle it."

Amy shook her head helplessly. "I just don't think that your going will get the end result we need: Vivi and the boy resolving their differences so they don't fight anymore. In fact, you'll probably just encourage them to keep going, and that's not what we need."

"I won't," Klaus replied. "I can do this the right way."

"Vivi, when you go to school, get the boy's number, so I can call his mother," Amy told her daughter sternly. "Please."

"Okay," Vivi sighed. "I'll do it."

"Thank you," Amy replied. "This is what's best. For all you know, once you and that boy put aside your differences, he could become the best friend you ever had. Just give him a chance."

"She already said she would," Klaus replied. "She gets the point."

"All right, all right," Amy said, and went to go see Margot.

* * *

King was very concerned when he came to class and spit gum in Vivi's hair and she didn't even retaliate. "Don't do that," she told him sharply after she made it disappear. "You and me aren't allowed to fight anymore."

"Says who?" King replied.

"My mom wasn't happy that I went to the principal, and she wants to call your mom so they can talk and we can be friends forever," Vivi replied. "We have to stop it! And that means we can't fight anymore. At least not so they know."

King made a face like he'd swallowed something sour. "You mean, I have to be..._nice_ to you?"

Vivi shrugged. "Hey, it's not gonna be any fun for me either, but we gotta do it!"

King sighed. "All right," he said. "I suppose I can be nice to you if I have to."

"Good," Vivi nodded. "Now give me your phone number so she can call your mom and we can get this stupid business over with."

* * *

It took a few days for Vivi to finally give Amy the number to King's house. But when she finally did, she took off after so she wouldn't have to hear Amy make the call. Gwen and Amy made arrangements for the four of them to meet the next day after school to sit and talk. When Klaus heard, he insisted on coming too.

"Fine," Amy told him. "If you want to come, be my guest. But behave yourself, all right?"

"Oh, all right!" Klaus snapped. "You don't have to tell me twice."

"I hope not," Amy replied. "Looking after Vivi is tough enough. I don't want to have to look after you as well."

"The amazing thing is that you don't," Klaus told her. "You just think you do because I don't display what you think is all right behavior. It would ease your mind a lot if you'd just lay off me, all right? Let me be me. It worked well for a thousand years. I don't see any reason why I have to change now."

"Cause you have to be a good example for your daughter!" Amy cried.

"What good will that do?" Klaus cried. "I can be a choir boy and it won't do any good. Hell, I've been good, and she's _still _getting into fights. It's part of who she is, whether you or I like it or not. Accept it. Embrace it. Move on."

"Fine," Amy shook her head. "Whatever."

* * *

When Gwen answered the door, Amy smiled at her. "Hi, Gwen!" She said. "Haven't seen you since your wedding!"

"What a pleasant surprise!" Gwen replied. "I'm sorry we couldn't have our next meeting under happier circumstances."

Klaus came in after Amy and cleared his throat, causing Amy to turn. "Oh, and this is my husband," she said. "Vivi's dad."

"King and his father will be along in a moment," Gwen replied. "Then we can get this whole mess straightened out!" She invited Amy, Klaus, and Vivi to sit down before she said, "Can I get anyone anything? Tea? Coffee?"

"I'll take some tea, thank you," Amy replied.

"Do you have any lemonade?" Vivi asked.

"Yes," Gwen nodded. "As a matter of fact, we do."

She went to get the drinks, and it was just as she was coming out of the kitchen with the drink tray that King and Mikael entered the living room and Mikael spied Klaus.

"Gwendolyn!" He cried, his voice fierce as he jabbed a finger in Klaus' direction. "Why is that _boy_ sitting on my sofa? He shouldn't even be allowed in our house! Get him out of here!"

"I invited him," Gwen said calmly. "I had no idea the two of you had issues with each other. He's here along with Amy and Vivi so we all can discuss the problems King and Vivi are having at school and hopefully come up with a resolution that's good for everybody. That being said, he's not going anywhere."

Mikael rolled his eyes. "If that isn't the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard! King shouldn't have to play nice with some girl he doesn't like just cause some idiot humans at that school you insisted that we send him to get upset."

"Actually, this has nothing to do with school," Gwen replied. "It was all my and Amy's idea. I think it would make things safer for everyone."

"Who _cares_ about the safety of humans?" Mikael asked. "If bad things happen to them, and they die, that's all the more room for us!"

Gwen moved her hand and made all sound fly from Mikael's mouth. Klaus started laughing, but cut off when Amy did the same spell to him too.

Then Gwen cleared her throat. "Now, where were we?"

"You're supposed to tell us that it's not good for us to misbehave at school," Vivi replied.

"Oh, yes," Gwen nodded. "Thank you, dear. It's not good for the two of you to fight at school. You could hurt yourselves or someone else. And if you can't get along, just try and stay away from each other, okay?"

"And I want you two to apologize to one another," Amy added.

"Do I have to hug her or something when I apologize?" King asked. "Cause I don't want to do that."

"No, just a sincere 'I'm sorry' will do," Amy replied.

Locking eyes with each other, Vivi and King took a few steps so that they were very close together and both muttered a quick and mumbly 'I'm sorry', before King gave Vivi a wink that their mothers didn't see, and they separated and went to sit down.

"See?" Amy said as she continued to sip her tea. "Isn't it better to be getting along?" It was then that Klaus launched himself at Mikael and the two of them began rolling around on the floor, punching, kicking, and swearing at each other. Amy sighed. "If only getting your fathers to behave was as easy as it was with you two." She turned to Gwen. "Do you have any idea ?"

"Not a bit," Gwen shrugged. "But we'll find out, won't we?"

"Yes," Amy nodded. "We most definitely will. But for now, let's just enjoy the silence the best we can."

* * *

"I'm sorry I didn't do the heroic thing and let Mom keep my powers, but come on," Savannah told Jonathan. "They're mine! It was unfortunate how Mom lost hers, but it wasn't my fault. I know you think I'm being incredibly selfish, but is it so wrong to want to keep _my_ powers? You of all people should know how desperate one can become if they don't have magic. Wasn't one of the reasons you got in trouble with the council because you were stealing magic after losing yours? Do you _really_ want to risk me becoming that sort of person?"

Jonathan sighed. "You're right. Your powers are your own and you should be able to decide what to do with them. But I just...I can't stop being upset for your mother. She didn't deserve to lose hers."

"I know, and if there was some way that we could get Mom powers without my needing to lose mine, I would be more than happy to help her," Savannah told him. "I'm not as selfish as you sometimes think I am." She then zapped up his favorite cherry tart and waved the plate under his nose. "Come on...you know you want to forgive me."

Jonathan sighed and took the plate. "You know so many of my weaknesses," he said as he zapped up a fork and gave it a stab. "It really takes a lot for me to stand up to you. I know it might not seem like it, but it does."

Savannah watched him eat, then when he was done, took the plate away and kissed him. "I think married life has mellowed me a little, don't you?"

Jonathan chuckled. "Maybe a little," he replied. "But not completely, I hope." He took her hand and began walking around the house, which had still retained a lot of its old fashioned charm despite the thorough cleaning they'd given it once they'd moved in after the wedding. "I love this house," he said. "Your father giving it to us was perhaps the kindest thing he's ever done for me."

"And ever will do," Savannah replied.

"Do you think he'll hate our children?" Jonathan asked her. "I know he's not overly fond of me."

"I wouldn't worry about it," Savannah replied. "He hated my sister Roxie's husband Vince at first, but he liked their kids, Joey and Maddie."

"Well, that's a relief," Jonathan replied. "It takes a weight off my mind."

Savannah let out a shriek and jumped into Jonathan's arms as a mouse skittered across the floor. "I hate the mice!" She cried. "I love this house, but I hate the mice."

"There's an easy solution, you know," Jonathan replied, picking up the mouse and stroking it before taking it to the front door and pausing. "We can get a cat."

"You want to get a_ cat_?" Savannah asked. "Isn't that a tad stereotypical?"

"Oh, it doesn't have to be a black one," Jonathan replied. "Just any one, so long as it catches mice."

"I don't know..." Savannah said. "Animals are a lot of work."

"It would be good practice for when we finally _do _have children," Jonathan replied. "It's either get a cat, or learn to make friends with little creatures like this!" He grabbed the mouse by the tail and dangled it in front of her. She let out a shriek and begged him to put it outside. "We'll get a cat tomorrow!" She cried. "Just take that dirty, disgusting thing and put it out in the grass!"

"All right," Jonathan replied and put the mouse outside. "If you insist. Tomorrow, we shop for a cat!"

* * *

The next day, when it was time for them to go look for a cat, Savannah expected to be taken to some pet store full of noise and bad smells and way too many people, but instead, Jonathan took her to see a friend of his that owned a farm. When they got there, he led them to a barn where a grumpy looking cat sat, surrounded by several gray, striped kittens. They weren't completely new. They had a little bit of size and weight on them, and Jonathan's friend assured them that every one was definitely an accomplished mouser.

"All right," Jonathan told Savannah. "You pick one."

Savannah sighed and looked all the kittens over. Most were aware that they were being watched so they put on a show trying to get her attention. But her eye was drawn to one that was in the corner, away from the others, staring at something intently. Savannah watched it, and then all of a sudden, it pounced on a good-sized rat and went after it until it was dead, then picked it up in its teeth and brought it to her. "Thank you," she said, looking disgusted. "I don't want this." But she couldn't help liking the cat nonetheless and picked it up, taking it to Jonathan. "I pick this one," she said. "I already know it can kill stuff."

"It is a 'she'" his friend replied. "She's a bit small, but she's much more competent at hunting than her siblings."

"Will it put you out any to lose her, Will?" Jonathan asked his friend.

"Nah, don't worry about it," his friend replied, wiping his hands on his pants. "I have a lot. You two go ahead and take her."

"Thank you!" Savannah replied. They brought the cat to the car, and on the way home, Jonathan asked, "so what are you going to name our little friend?"

Savannah smiled. "I think I'll name her Minnie. It fits her, don't you agree?"


	20. Taking The High Road

"We did a good job tricking our parents the other day," Vivi said to King. "They really believed that we were gonna start getting along!"

"Yeah, I know," King chuckled. "That's not actually gonna happen. We're just calming things down a little so that we don't have to go to the principal again."

"I want to thank you," Vivi replied and zapped up a pie for him. "Have that. It's tasty."

"It does look it," King replied, licking his lips. But then Vivi came up behind him and shoved his face in the pie before laughing herself sick. "You look so funny," she said, falling to the floor. "You should see your face!"

"I can't really see _anything_," King said, cleaning himself off. "That's better." He then grabbed the pie and smashed what was left on Vivi's face. "Tasty isn't it?" He asked. "You're right!" Then, they heard the teacher come and quickly took their seats.

"Everything okay in here?" She asked, looking at Vivi and King suspiciously.

"Yes," Vivi nodded earnestly. "Everything is fine."

"Well, I hope so," their teacher replied. "Cause I really don't want to have to send you two to the principal again."

Vivi and King rolled their eyes at this remark, and went and sat down in chairs in opposite corners of the room so they wouldn't aggrevate the teacher further.

She seemed to have given up on having Vivi and King get along, cause when she put the kids in pairs to do a project, she paired King and Vivi up with other people, and the poor kid who got stuck with King was just terrified.

Vivi stared at them for a little bit and then got the teachers' attention. "Can I trade places with Jack and be with King, Miss Sanderson?" She asked the teacher. "I think that would be better. I'll take the bullet."

"Oh, I don't know," Miss Sanderson replied. "I don't want the two of you to fight and wreck the classroom. I just finished cleaning it after your last upset."

"We'll get along, I promise!" Vivi replied.

Miss Sanderson sighed. "All right, whatever. Jack, you be with Timmy!"

The little boy who was with King sped away to his new partner and then King looked at Vivi. "I'm not that bad, am I?" He asked.

"Yes," Vivi replied immediately. "Don't pretend otherwise. Fortunately for you, I can handle it when no one else can." She looked at the piece of paper spread out in front of them on the floor and grabbed the markers to begin to draw her interpretation of the fall weather outside.

Vivi sketched a nice tree and some leaves and a sun. Then she looked on in dismay as King began drawing skeletons and ghosts everywhere on her picture.

"Why are you doing that?" She asked, giving his hand a light slap. "You're wrecking my vision! This is supposed to be a _pretty _picture!"

"Fall is when everything dies!" King replied. "I'm just trying to show that!"

Vivi narrowed her eyes at him, then looked up at Miss Sanderson, who was tensed and ready to come pull them apart if need be. Fortunately, Vivi wasn't in the mood to fight. They still had a large section of paper left, so Vivi drew a line down the empty space with her marker and said, "Here. You draw on this side of the line, and I'll draw on this other side where all the white space is, okay?"

"Okay," King replied. "Even though your picture will be boring."

Vivi shut her eyes, took a deep breath, and tried her best to ignore every impulse she had that was urging her to kick him or bite him. "That's your opinion," she said with dignity. "But I disagree." She began redrawing the picture King had ruined and was working feverishly when Miss Sanderson came to observe their progress.

"Your section is very beautiful, Vivi," she commented.

"Thank you very much," Vivi replied and drew some yellow leaves on her tree. "I like drawing."

"Is_ my _part of the drawing beautiful?" King asked. Miss Sanderson gasped a little when she saw that his portion resembled something out of "Night of the Living Dead."

"It's creative," she got out. "That's for sure."

Vivi giggled as she walked away. "That means she liked my part better than yours. Ha ha ha!"

"Oh, what do _you_ know?" King asked. "Who died and made_ you _Picasso?"

"Do you even know who Picasso is?" Vivi asked. "Or are you just trying to be impressive?"

"I know who Picasso is!" King replied, bristling. "Mom has some of his pictures hanging at our house! Daddy doesn't like them much, though."

"Oh," Vivi replied. "Sorry."

"Damn right," King muttered under his breath so only Vivi could hear.

After everyone was done with their pictures, they put them all on one side of the room, and Miss Sanderson told the class that the pictures would hang in the hallway for everyone in the school to see.

Vivi and King then spent the rest of the day ignoring each other unless it was absolutely necessary, and when Selina came to pick King up, she finally asked him about Vivi.

"Who's that cute little redhead you seemed like you were trying to avoid before we left?" She wanted to know. "Is she your girlfriend?"

"She's not cute!" King replied irritably. "Her name is Vivi, and she's a crazy person. She's _not _my girlfriend!"

"Sorry I touched a nerve," Selina replied.

"That's okay," King replied. "Let's go home and not talk about it anymore."

They drove home in silence, with Selina thinking about what a coincidence it was that Mikael's son was now hating Klaus' daughter.

* * *

Klaus had just come in from hunting and was trying to clean himself up when he saw Vivi appear behind him. "Hi, Daddy!" she cried. He turned around and scolded her. "You can't just come in here without knocking!" He said irritably. "You'll end up seeing things you shouldn't!"

"Like what?" Vivi asked. "I saw you without a shirt before. It doesn't bother me."

"No, I mean my face!" Klaus replied. "I'm covered in blood! Aren't you terrified?"

Vivi shook her head. "Only by what a messy eater you are." She ran some water over a washcloth and handed it to him. "There you go," she said. She watched him clean himself off and smiled. "That's much better," she said with approval.

"I should have known," Klaus said with a chuckle. "I don't know why I didn't."

"Known what?" Vivi asked.

"How much like your mother you are," he said. "She's never really been scared of me much either." He paused. "Well, except for a couple of times, but you don't need to hear about those."

He put on his shirt and Vivi held out her arms. "Did you have good hunting?" She asked.

Klaus nodded as he picked her up. "It was okay. I had some good kills, as you could probably see by the blood on my face. How are you taking this so calmly?"

"Well, Daddy, I'm a vampire too," Vivi replied. "Remember?" She put her forehead against his and then gave him a kiss.

"Oh, I remember," Klaus replied as he put her down. "I guess I always hoped though that you'd be...not so much like a vampire. More like a nice little girl."

"I _am_ a nice little girl!" Vivi replied. "But I'm a vampire too! Can't I be both?"

"Yes!" Klaus hugged her as she buried her head in his shoulder. "Of course you can!"

"Then Vivi looked up. "I have to eat," she said. "I should do that now."

Klaus watched her eyes change a little and then said, "All right, we'll go get you some blood. Come on."

"All right," Vivi replied as he carried her to the kitchen. "Good idea."

He poured some blood in a cup and watched her drink it. "Better?" He asked when it was empty.

"Yes," Vivi nodded, smiling with bloodstained teeth. "_Much_ better."

* * *

"You want me to tell you about how Savannah's doing?" Klaus asked Amy when she returned from visiting their daughter and son in law. She and Klaus had both agreed that it wasn't the best idea for him to go with her.

"Savannah is adjusting to the house fine," Amy replied, sitting next to Klaus on the bed. "Still not used to the rats quite yet, but they got the cutest little gray kitten named Minnie and she kills them, so it's okay. Savannah asked where you were and I told her you were busy. It's been_ five years_, Klaus. You're gonna have to go to her and Jonathan's and visit sometime. I don't know how much longer I can keep making excuses for you."

"Fine," Klaus replied irritably. "Next time you go visit Savannah, I'll come with you."

"Do you really mean that?" Amy asked, staring him down. "Or are you just saying that to shut me up?"

"Oh, I mean it," Klaus replied. "If I wanted to shut you up, I would do something else entirely."

"Oh?" Amy grinned, a twinkle in her eye. "And just what is that?"

He then took her in his arms and kissed her before pushing her back onto the mattress and nibbling on her neck before told him to pause so she could remove her clothes and he could unzip his pants at the very least before he took her in his arms again, and as her laughter rang out, he pushed into her, and held her tight, not letting her go.


	21. She's A Little Bit Dangerous

A few days later, when Vivi and King headed out of school and to their rides, Vivi was quick to notice that he was following her. "Are you _crazy_?" She asked him, giving him a swat on the arm. "Stop following me!"

King pointed. "The car that's taking me home is right there!"

Vivi's jaw dropped in horror when she realized that he was pointing at Kol's car. Kol was picking them both up because Selina was busy and Amy was too. "I'm not sharing a car with _you_!" She exclaimed, stomping her foot. "I get to ride in the car and you have to walk behind it."

"That's crazy!" King replied. "_You_ be the one to walk behind the car!"

"No!" Vivi shook her head, watching as Kol stepped out. "We have to be fair about this: first one to the car gets to ride in it, the other has to walk behind."

"Okay," King replied. "One, two, three...go!"

They both made a run for the car as Kol and Regina (who was at the wheel practicing with her learner's permit) stared in shock. Vivi and King were pushing each other as they made their way across the parking lot and when King won, he chuckled. "I get to ride in the car!" He crowed. "You have to walk behind!"

Vivi struggled to get up, frowning deeply at her adversary.

"Everyone gets to ride in the car," Kol replied as he helped his niece to her feet. "Now get in!"

"Okay," Vivi replied, looking resentfully at King before she got in one side of the backseat and King got in the other. Vivi then magicked a curtain between them to separate them.

"What's that for?" King asked.

"So I don't have to look at your stupid face," Vivi replied.

"Well, your face is stupid too, so I don't want to look at it either!" King replied and stuck out his tongue just as Vivi got the curtain closed. Even then, he reached around it, poking Vivi's face, waving his hand around, and saying "Ignore the man behind the curtain" before bursting into laughter.

It was when Vivi finally bit King's hand hard and he yelled, "You bitch! That really hurt!" that Kol stepped in. "How about we just don't talk?" He said, cause he was starting to get a headache. "Can we do that? Please? I'm killing the first one who speaks."

Vivi magicked up a pencil and paper and wrote "_are you lying?_" on it before handing it to her uncle.

"No, I'm not lying," Kol replied. "And thank you for not speaking."

Vivi smiled and gave him a nod. Fortunately, King also took Kol's warning to heart and didn't say a word to Vivi on the ride home, allowing Kol to focus on helping Regina with her driving.

* * *

"How was picking up King and Vivi from school?" Margot asked him. "Difficult?"

"At first, cause they were snapping at each other," Kol replied. "But then I threatened to kill whoever talked and that made them silent really quick. And when we reached Father's to drop King off, it couldn't have happened soon enough. Vivi's playing video games with Regina in the living room now." He smiled. "You know, I never thought I'd say this, but I'm glad your grandmother cursed you so we only had one kid. I don't think I could have handled others."

"You know, I agree with you," Margot told him. "And speaking of our kid, how did Regina do with her driving today?"

"Not bad," Kol replied. "I was pleased."

"Good," Margot smiled and took him in her arms. "You need a drink?" She whispered in his ear.

"Yes," Kol replied. "A really, really big one!"

"All right," Margot nodded and gave him a deep kiss before sashaying from the bedroom to go get him his drink.

Kol chuckled to himself as he lay back on the bed. Margot was wonderful, there was no way around that. Not only was she beautiful, she was one of the few women he'd ever met that could actually out drink him and still stay on her feet. She never nagged him about being out late, or going hunting or anything. She was a perfect woman.

When she returned a few minutes later, he pulled her into his lap, drank his drink in one go, and then kissed her.

"Wow," she said, pushing some of her red hair out of her eyes when it was all over. "Nothing like the smell of alcohol to wake you up. I shouldn't have made you a double."

"It wasn't that bad, was it?" Kol asked and breathed on his hand. He went and got a mint or two out of the bowl in the kitchen and then came back. He waited until the mints had dissolved and kissed Margot again. "Better?" He asked.

"Yes," Margot smiled. "_Much_ better! In fact, I'd like to kiss a little longer if you don't mind."

Kol smirked and shook his head, picking her up, laying her down on the bed, then climbing in after her and looming over her. "I don't mind at all," He replied, leaning down to kiss her again as his hand sneaked under her blouse (where he discovered she wasn't wearing a bra) while her arms went around his neck, and then her hands went up to play with his hair as stretched out on top of her and she shifted her body so she could more easily undress as she felt his waiting erection against her thigh.

* * *

"Dad?" Savannah asked. Klaus nodded and reached for his daughter as she opened the door to see her parents on the other side. She went to hug him back and when Minnie ran out of the house, Amy caught her just in time.

"There," Amy said and put Minnie back in the house. "She won't do you any good if she escapes."

They all went inside and Amy asked, "Do you get many mice around here?"

"Not a lot," Savannah replied. "But sometimes."

"Does that bother you?" Klaus asked. "I would have picked a newer house for you if I'd known this place was infested."

"Oh, don't worry about it," Savannah replied. "That's what we have the cat for."

"Good," Klaus replied. "Now, where's Putnam? And keep in mind that if you say he's not here, I won't be offended at all."

Savannah smirked. "Sorry to disappoint you, Daddy. But Jonathan _is _here."

Klaus groaned at this news and Amy gently elbowed him in the gut.

Savannah took hold of Minnie and then went off to find Jonathan, leaving Amy and Klaus to talk amongst themselves for a few minutes. "If you behave yourself, I have a surprise that I'm going to give you when we get home," Amy told him.

"Oh?" Klaus raised an eyebrow. "And just what _is_ this surprise?"

Amy smiled. "It's not specifically what you're thinking, but if we make it through this in one piece, we can do that, too."

Upon hearing this, Klaus was intrigued and tried to do his best to get along with Jonathan, even though it was not without his difficulties. Just the sight of the man doing something as innocent as touching Savannah's hand made Klaus tense up and gnash his teeth. "Easy," Amy whispered. "Easy."

"So, Putnam," Klaus said between his teeth as he turned to face his son in law. "What do you think of the house?"

"Oh, it's very nice, thank you," Jonathan replied. "We have the occasional mouse skitter about, but that's pretty much the only problem. And even that's not a bad one."

"Good," Klaus replied. Then he turned to Savannah. "Is he still treating you well?"

"Of course, Daddy!" Savannah replied. "Why wouldn't he?"

"Well, you never know," Klaus replied. "He used to be a criminal."

Jonathan scoffed, rising to his feet. "I don't think, sir, that anyone with as long a list of murders on their resume as you has any right to question my relationship with Savannah based on my former felonious past."

"I'm sorry," Klaus replied, a grin on his lips. "Did I hit a nerve?"

"Okay, you two," Amy said. "You've had your fun, now let's just sit down and try to get along."

"Oh, I think we're past that," Jonathan told her. "Clearly, your husband won't be happy until he has a chance to finish me off! So I'll give him that chance and we can settle things like gentlemen."

"And just how would that be?" Savannah asked.

"Pistols in the backyard at ten paces?" Jonathan asked Klaus. "Is that agreeable to you?"

"Fine," Klaus replied.

"Wait!" Savannah cried. "Are you two seriously going to go to the backyard and shoot each other?"

"Well, you know I'm not a violent man, Savannah," Jonathan replied. "But if that's what it will take to prove myself to your father, then so be it!"

"Are you insane?" Savannah asked as she followed him upstairs to his gun cabinet. "Daddy could kill you! What are you thinking?"

"He won't kill me," Jonathan replied with confidence as he took two pistols from the cabinet. "He loves you too much to do anything that would jeopardize your relationship with him, even killing me. And even if he wounds me, you'll give me your blood to heal me, right?"

"Well, yes!" Savannah nodded. "But I still think this is insane."

"It is," Jonathan replied. "But it's something I have to do." He took hold of the pistols and marched resolutely down the stairs with Savannah trailing worriedly behind him. He reached Klaus and gave him a pistol, and then they both went outside and took their places, while Amy and Savannah stood aside, watching, their brows full of worry.

"I can't believe Daddy is doing this," Savannah said, gripping Amy's hand tight.

"I know," Amy replied. "I promised him good things if he could just behave himself, but I guess I'm not enough to overpower his hatred for Jonathan."

They watched as Klaus and Jonathan took their places and Jonathan counted off. Then, as the shots rang out, Savannah let out a yell and shut her eyes tight so she wouldn't have to see what happened.

When she opened her eyes again, she was on the ground and Amy, Klaus, and Jonathan were looking over her. "What happened?" She asked shakily as they helped her sit up and Jonathan cradled her in his arms. "What happened? Who won? Do you need blood?"

"No, darling," Klaus replied. "I-I didn't shoot him. I couldn't."

"He missed me by a mile," Jonathan replied. "As I did him."

"Oh, good," Savannah replied with a weak smile. "You two are gonna kill me, you know that?"

Klaus then looked up at Amy. "I'm not sorry," he told her.

"Well, I think some part of you is," Amy replied. "Or else you would have actually shot him."

"I guess I don't get my surprise, do I?" Klaus asked.

"We'll see," Amy told him as she watched Jonathan and Savannah hug each other tight. "We'll see."

* * *

When they got home, Amy told Klaus to sit on the sofa while she went to get his surprise.

"I get my surprise?" Klaus asked.

"Well, even though you two challenged one another to a duel and nearly gave both Savannah and I heart attacks, Jonathan was still alive when we left, so I consider that a victory," Amy replied. "So you get your surprise. It's something I have to give you sometime anyway, so it might as well be now." She then left and came back with a box labeled "Vivi Stuff To Save For Klaus", and dumped it all on the floor. It was multiple photo albums, video discs, and what looked like school projects.

"This is all the stuff Vivi did while we were gone," Amy told him. "I know you missed out on seeing it in person, so I wanted to keep it all for you so you could see it later. I know it's not as good as actually being there, but it's something...right?"

"You-you saved all this for me?" Klaus asked in amazement. "I don't...you didn't have to."

"Yes, I did," Amy replied. "It was about a month after I left that I realized doing so was a mistake. That it didn't help me as much as I thought it would."

"So why didn't you just come back?" Klaus asked as he picked up one of the albums and looked through the pictures.

"I tried to, you know?" Amy replied. "But the main reason I ran away was fear, so every time I got up the nerve to buy plane ticks, I just...I lost my nerve to go through with the plan."

"How come Vivi's so comfortable with me?" Klaus asked. "She didn't even remember meeting me before she got home from the airport!"

Amy sighed. "When I was packing before we went to Paris, I picked some hair off a brush of yours and stuck it in a bag so that when I was abroad with Vivi, I could, you know, use magic to make a duplicate of you so that she would know you when I finally got up the nerve to bring her back."

"So all this time," Klaus said. "The entire five years you were in Europe with her avoiding me, you still made efforts to help Vivi know me cause you knew that some day she'd see me again and you didn't want her to be afraid of me?"

Amy nodded. "Well, considering the cowardly way I acted while we were gone, I figured I at least owed you that much."

"Well, thank you," Klaus replied, feeling genuinely stunned. "I-I appreciate it."

"Thank_ you_ for not killing Jonathan," Amy replied. "I appreciate _that._" She then popped in a disk of baby Vivi walking and then she and Klaus sat next to each other, their hands entwined, watching Vivi take tiny steps, fall on her bottom, and with determination, get back up again.

"Nothing fazes her," Amy noted. "She doesn't take long to recover from things like I do...she's a tough girl. Not a coward."

"You shouldn't blame yourself for being scared of me after what I did to you," Klaus replied. "I would think you were crazy if you weren't."

At this, Amy lay her head on Klaus' shoulder and he ran his fingers through her hair. They continued watching the home movies until they heard a voice call out, "Mommy? Daddy? I'm home! Where are you?"

"There's our girl," Klaus said to Amy. He went to the front door, picked Vivi up, and brought her into the living room and sat her down between himself and Amy. "We were just watching video of when you were a baby," Amy told her. "Cause your father didn't get to see it and all."

"Well," Vivi smiled and leaned against Klaus. "I'm much cuter in person!"

"Yes, you are," Klaus nodded as he and Amy enveloped her in a hug before turning the movies back on again, this time with Vivi's spirited commentary in the background.


	22. Refusing To Bury A Grudge

"You never told us how things went when your brother picked you up," Mikael told King. "How did things go with Kol?"

"He got in a big fight," Regina said before King could speak. "Dad had to take Vivi on the same day and they got in a _big_ fight."

"It wasn't_ that _big!" King replied, his eyes narrowed. "Mind your own business, Regina!"

"Of course it was big!" Regina continued, ignoring him. "You poked her a bunch of times and then she bit you."

Hearing this, Mikael smiled at Gwen, his hand running over her thigh before he returned his attention back to King. "You better be careful with this girl," he said.

"Why?" King asked. "Cause fighting is bad?"

"No," Mikael replied. "But if you keep up with this, you just might marry her some day!"

"EWWW!" King shouted while Regina smirked. "That's so gross, Dad. Why would you even say that?"

"Well, why wouldn't I?" Mikael asked. "It's what happened between me and your mother."

"That doesn't mean it will hapen to _me!_" King replied indignantly. "And since you hate her daddy, then why would you want us to get married anyway?"

"I don't," Mikael replied. "But if it happens, I will be prepared."

"You know, it's weird," Regina mused. "Vivi's my cousin, you know. I don't know her very well though because of Aunt Amy running off to Europe for all those years."

"Doesn't surprise me that she did that," Mikael replied. "That's often the reaction that her husband inspires in other people."

"Oh, Uncle Klaus isn't so bad," Regina said. "He's no worse than my dad, anyway."

"Oh, he is so!" Mikael replied. "At least your father is my son who didn't choose to marry a woman whose sole goal in life was to humilate me!"

"Grandpa," Regina said patiently, "What went on between you and Aunt Selina ended over a century ago. You burned down her bakeries in revenge. Don't you think you need to get over it?"

"Not until she dies," Mikael said resolutely. "And we both know that that will never happen."

Regina then stood up and said to King and Gwen, "You two wanna go on a drive with me while Grandpa simmers in his anger?"

"Oh, I would love to," Gwen replied. "And you needing someone to supervise you is the perfect excuse."

"Are we gonna die?" King asked his mother. "I mean, last time we were in the car, Vivi was distracting me so I wasn't all that scared of dying, but now I'm not so sure!"

"Oh, it won't be so bad," Gwen said. "I promise."

"And I'm not even gonna be offended by what you're saying," Regina replied. "I love driving too much to let you wreck it for me. It's one of the few times I can look at myself in multiple mirrors at once."

"It's good you do that cause then we don't have to listen to you babble on all the time with your big mouth!" King said. "Why do girls do that all the time? It's so annoying."

"I'm annoying?" Gwen asked. "Are you sure?"

"Not you," King said quickly. "Only Vivi. And sometimes, Regina."

"I wouldn't agitate the person who's gonna be doing the driving if I were you," Regina warned him.

"If you're trying to scare me, it won't work," King shot back. "I'm hard to kill!"

"Yeah," Regina scoffed. "Just like a cockroach. You won't go away no matter how badly I want you to."

At this, King zapped a pig nose on Regina, chuckling to himself about how she would scream when she looked in the car mirrors and saw it.

* * *

"Daddy?" Vivi asked Klaus. "How come boys are so annoying?"

"Not all of them are," Klaus said. "I'm not annoying."

"When Uncle Kol picked me up the other day, he had to pick stupid King up too, and I hate that boy!" Vivi gnashed her teeth.

"What happened?" Klaus asked, tensing. "Did he hurt you?"

"No, he was being a pain in the butt so I bit him," Vivi replied. "No harm done."

"Well, good for you," Klaus replied. "I'm proud."

"Thank you," Vivi replied primly. "Did you like all that stuff Mommy saved for you?"

"Well, of course I did!" Klaus replied. "I just wish I could have been there in person."

"Why weren't you?" Vivi asked. "Did you not love me?"

"Of course I did!" Klaus replied. "Before your mother ran off with you, we were pals! But I did something to her that was very wrong, which made her scared, and that's why she left. It had nothing to do with you. I just made a big mistake."

"What did you do?" Vivi asked.

"I killed your mother," Klaus replied, and then braced himself for the fear and hatred of him that he just knew she was gonna show next. But instead, her voice quiet, she asked, "Why did you kill Mommy? She's a nice lady."

"Yes, she is," Klaus nodded. "And I'm incredibly lucky to have her. But I was with your aunt Selina before I fell in love with your mother and some bad things happened while I was with your aunt that made your mom scared I wouldn't love her anymore when she found out about them, and she didn't tell me she was scared. She decided to go kiss another man instead, so I got upset, and that's why I...killed your mother.

Vivi's eyes were wide now. "But Mommy's not dead! Is that why she's a vampire?"

"Yes," Klaus nodded. "Also, when I killed her, you were still waiting to be born. Giving birth to you was the last thing she did before she changed."

Vivi smiled at this and made a pose like she was showing off her muscles. "That's why I'm so tough!" She said.

"Yes, that's true," Klaus replied, smiling as he tousled her hair. "You're not mad at me, are you?"

"No," Vivi shook her head. "I'm sad Mommy ran away, but I'm not mad at you."

"And don't be mad at her either, okay?" Klaus asked, holding Vivi's chin in his hand and looking into her eyes. "She took good care of you."

"I know," Vivi replied. "I'm_ not _mad at her either. The only person who makes me mad is stupid King!"

"You know, his father wanted to kill me for years," Klaus told her. "So whenever you feel you need to pummel that boy, you go ahead and do it!"

"I will!" Vivi nodded earnestly. "Cause wanting to kill people is wrong unless they try and kill you first!"

"That's very true," Klaus replied. "Very true."

"What are you two talking about?" Amy asked when she came upon them.

Sensing her mother wouldn't like to hear that her father condoned her beating King to a pulp, so she just said, "We were only talking about stuff."

"What kind of stuff?" Amy pressed.

"Secret Daddy-daughter stuff that would make you mad if I told you what it was," Vivi replied.

"Oh," Amy nodded. "I won't ask any more, then."

"Why did Uncle Kol have to pick me up the other day?" Vivi asked.

"Cause your father and I went to visit your sister," Amy replied. "I think I'll take you sometime. She has a kitten you might like."

"No, don't take her!" Klaus cried.

"Why not?" Amy asked. Then her eyes narrowed. "Oh, wait. Never mind. I think I know why."

Klaus nodded. "That's right."

"You already challenged him to a duel," Amy sighed. "How much longer will this nonsense between you and Jonathan go on?"

"Always," Klaus replied. "It's never going to end. Unless, of course, he dies, that is."

"Who's Jonathan?" Vivi asked her mother. "Is that the man you cheated on Daddy with that made him kill you?"

"No, it wasn't him," Amy replied. "But how in the world do you know about that?"

"Cause he told me!" Vivi replied.

"Why did you tell her that?" Amy asked Klaus. "She's just a little girl! You could give her nightmares!"

"She doesn't seem frightened to me, Amy," Klaus replied. "I think you underestimate her."

"I would love to go to Savannah's house and see her kitty," Vivi said, hugging Amy as Klaus grumbled.

"Just don't get too close to Putnam," Klaus told her. "Don't be as foolish as your mother, your aunt, or your sister."

"I'll always love you the most, Daddy," Vivi said patiently. "Don't worry."

"Good," Klaus replied, clearing his throat. "I should hope so!"

"And don't worry about King, either," Vivi added. "If he tries to start stuff with me, I'll be ready for him!" She made a few quick punches into the air and went to grab her coat. "Can we go see Savannah's kitty now?" She asked Amy.

"I don't know if they're home," Amy replied. "But we can sure try."


	23. Not Just A Fairweather Friend

"Your sister is a nice girl," Jonathan told Savannah. "Kind of quiet though. And I got the sense that she was trying to avoid me. Did you feel it too?"

"Oh, don't worry about it," Savannah told him. "Dad probably made her feel guilty about being near you, and since she's just a kid, she fell for it."

"Perhaps it's not a bad thing for me to have distance from your sister," Jonathan mused. "I mean, the effect you Burke women have on me..."

"And what effect would that be?" Savannah asked. "You mean whatever it was that made you be engaged to Mom, sleep with Aunt Margot, and marry me?"

"Yes, that," Jonathan replied.

Just then, Minnie came in with a small mouse in her mouth and dropped it at Savannah's feet.

"We talked about this," Savannah said, getting down on her knees to pet the kitten. "You give the dead mice to your daddy, okay? I love you, but I don't have a lot of use for dead animals."

Jonathan shivered when he heard her call him the kitten's 'Daddy'.

"Are you all right?" Savannah asked him, noticing his discomfort.

"Yes," Jonathan nodded. "Fine. And don't worry. I'll take care of the mouse." He got up, grabbed a tissue, wrapped the mouse in it, and took the dead animal away, avoiding Savannah and Minnie for the rest of the night afterward, and tucking himself in in silence before turning off the light without as much as a 'good night' to Savannah.

* * *

"I don't know what's wrong with him," Savannah told Susanna as they walked among the thrift shops and antique stores downtown, each holding a to-go cup of coffee in one hand, and each other's hand as well as leaves fell from trees over their heads. "One minute, things were peachy like usual, then Minnie brought in this mouse and I praised her for it, which made Jonathan have this terrified look on his face. And then, when he came to bed, he wouldn't touch me."

Susanna magicked a bench onto the sidewalk and they both sat down. "There has to be something that made him scared. What did you say before he got the frightened look in his eyes?"

"I told you," Savannah replied, taking a swig from her coffee. "I told Minnie she did a good job catching the mouse, but that she should go give it to Jonathan to dispose of, cause handling dead animals is not my thing. Dead people, sure. Dead animals, not so much."

"And that's exactly what you said?" Susanna asked. "Those were your exact words?"

"Well, no," Savannah sighed. "I told Minnie to go give the dead mouse to her Daddy Jonathan. That was closer to what I said."

"Bingo!" Susanna nodded. "Maybe Jonathan is scared about being a parent."

"Why?" Savannah asked. "We talked about having kids after we got married. It's in our plan! And sure I'm not in any mood to rush it, but it makes no sense for him to be afraid. I mean, your dad was okay with it when your mom sprung her pregnancy with Henry on him."

"I know!" Susannah replied, pushing her dark hair out of her eyes. "To this day, I still wonder about that. But clearly, Jonathan is having issues about being a parent, so you should talk to him. If you don't, you'll end up like my grandparents, and I don't think that would be good for anyone."

"What happened with your grandparents?" Savannah asked. "Dad doesn't talk to me much about stuff that happened in his other family, and if he mentioned it before, I don't remember."

"Well, when my grandparents got married, they realized that any kids they had would be a witch, werewolf, and vampire put together. Super powerful, and super hard to control," Susanna began. "So they talked and decided that they would only have one, who was my mom. But then Grandma decided she wanted another one and through a series of events that ended in a _huge_ misunderstanding that separated Grandma and Grandpa for twenty years or so, Grandma gave birth to Aunt Felicity and Dad didn't want to have anything to do with her cause he wasn't mentally prepared for a second kid when she was born. Jonathan sounds like he's feeling the same way and you don't want to be separated from him for twenty years, do you?"

"Well, no," Savannah chuckled wryly. "But it would sure make my father happy."

"I heard your mom and your sister got back from Europe or wherever it was they went," Susanna said. "Hasn't that cheered your father up at least a little?"

"Well, yes, it has," Savannah nodded. "According to my mom, Vivi and Dad get along really well, but no matter how hard she tries, she won't be able to completely distract him from Jonathan. He and Dad got in an actual, literal duel the other day. Can you believe that?"

Susanna's eyes widened. "No! _Really?_ Was Jonathan hurt?"

"No, Dad missed him on purpose after I passed out," Savannah replied ruefully. "Do you think if we got him and Marcel together, it would do him some good?"

"I think so," Susanna nodded. "In fact, Marcel has been trying to get a hold of your dad for days but he hasn't been able to."

"Daddy's been distracted by Vivi, but I'm sure once the novelty of having her around wears off, he'll pay attention to other people," Savannah replied.

"And how long do you think that will take?" Susanna asked.

"I don't know," Savannah replied. "It might never wear off at the rate Dad is going."

Susanna nodded. "I thought you were gonna say that. I guess that means Marcel and I will have to start looking for other friends." She sighed. "Won't be easy."

"What about Henry and Margaret?" Savannah asked.

"Marcel doesn't really like to visit them," Susanna replied. "Henry has a parrot that he named Long John Silver who swears all the time and gets to fly around their house without restraint. But maybe if they came to see_ us_, things would be more enjoyable for Marcel."

"Could be," Savannah replied. Then she stood up quickly. "Look over there!" She cried, pointing at a shop. "It's a Cinnabon! You know, they always have the tastiest employees."

Susanna nodded. "And the occasional cinnamon roll never hurt either."

"So, you wanna go?" Savannah asked.

"Yes!" Susanna nodded. "What are we waiting for?"

* * *

Vivi decided that she was gonna try and get to know people in her class outside of King, but that proved to be more difficult than she thought. Every table she sat at, people would look at her with fear and suspicion and move somewhere else.

Recess found her sitting alone on the swing set, pushing dirt with the toe of her red sneaker. She didn't even look up when King came to sit next to her. "What are you doing here by yourself?" He asked.

"No one wants to be friends with me," Vivi pouted. "And I don't know why. I'm a nice girl."

"You could compel yourself a friend," King suggested. "Or I could do it for you."

"No, thank you," Vivi replied, standing up. "I'm gonna make friends the _right_ way, no matter how long it takes. Goodbye!"

King smirked as he watched her stride away from the swing set, then waited to see how long it would take her to come back.

It was a lot sooner than Vivi would have liked that she came back to the swing set, head hung and tears dripping onto the gravel.

"There now," King said as she sat back down and he handed her a tissue. "You see why this whole 'make friends the regular way' idea of yours isn't good?"

"I just don't understand why!" Vivi wailed.

King looked at her for a long moment. Despite their troubles, he felt bad just sitting there watching her cry. Cause she _was_ a good person. A lot better than him, anyway. And if she wanted friends, she should have them. Without telling her what he was doing, he left Vivi and approached a group of girls playing hopscotch. "Hey," he told them. "I wanna talk to you!"

They saw him and froze immediately. "What...what do you want?" One of them finally got up the courage to ask.

"Why don't you want to be friends with Vivi?" King asked. "I saw her talking to you earlier."

"Well, we already have all the friends we need," the girl replied. "We don't need any more, especially someone new like her."

King looked the girls over and singled out one that looked particularly irritating to him. He strode up to her and snapped her neck so that she fell to the ground in a flouncy, lacy puddle. Then he turned to face the other girls. "Well, there you go," he said. "Looks like you're in need of a new friend. I think Vivi will fit the bill nicely, don't you? Why don't you go and tell her she can play with you?"

As the little girls approached Vivi, King made the dead girl's body disappear, and then waited until the girls were gone before going back to the swing set where a smiling Vivi said, "The girls want to play with me! I don't just have to be with you all the time!" She jumped up and down happily and King said, "I thought they would, since I killed one of their little friends."

Vivi's jaw dropped and she slapped him. "Why did you do that?" She cried. "You weren't supposed to!"

"Hey, they were being mean to you!" King cried. "I don't like that!"

"Why not?" Vivi shot back. "You're mean to me all the time!"

"But that's different!" King replied. "You and me being mean to each other is a totally different thing. Now why don't you go and play with your friends?"

"They're not really my friends!" Vivi replied. "They don't even like me!"

"Oh, yes, they do!" King replied. "Cause that's how I told them they should feel. Now go, you don't want to keep them waiting."

"You're unbelievable, you know that?" Vivi asked him before stomping off to join the girls.

"I know," King shouted after her, showing teeth. "And you're welcome!"


	24. Hired Help

"So, how was your day?" Mikael asked King.

"Good," King replied. "I didn't want to tell Selina cause I thought she would get upset, but I killed a little girl at school a few days ago. Snapped her neck and she just fell in a big pile of body."

"Interesting," Mikael said, raising an eyebrow. "Now, why would you do that?"

"Cause she and the other girls were being mean to Vivi when she wanted to make friends," King replied. "And she was crying. So I did what she wanted and got her some friends. She didn't seem to appreciate the gesture, though. Didn't even say 'Thank you'."

"Well, then I hope you're not planning to do anything like that for her again, if she's so ungrateful," Mikael told him. "That's why you have to be careful with women! Don't do anything for them unless they do things for you in return, otherwise they'll control you and your life will be hell. However, I'm very proud of you for demonstrating your superiority in any case."

"Well, thank you," King replied. "I thought you'd like to hear about it. Do you think I should tell Mom?"

"Oh, no, I think not," Mikael replied. "Let's just keep this between us for now."

"All right," King nodded. "I won't say a thing to Mommy."

And he tried to keep that vow, but when Gwen came to read him a story at bedtime and asked him how his day was, he crumbled. "I killed a girl at school!" He cried. "But you can't be mad at me cause I did it to help Vivi!"

Gwen sighed. "What have I told you about killing people?" She asked. "I know your father thinks of it as some sort of sport and is training you to be the same way, but you have to be careful!"

"Why?" King asked. "You don't care about the humans, do you?"

"Well, no!" Gwen shook her head. "But you don't want people with pitchforks coming at you and shouting 'Vampire'!" Do you?"

"I didn't bite her," King said. "I just snapped her neck. And I made the girls forget what they saw."

"Well, good," Gwen replied. "Just be careful in the future, all right?"

"All right," King promised. "I will."

* * *

"I saw you say goodbye to some girls when I came to pick you up the other day," Amy smiled at Vivi. "It's _wonderful_ to see that you're finally making friends instead of always fighting with King."

Vivi sighed. "They're not really my friends. King made them be. I told him that they weren't being nice to me at recess, so he killed one of them and made the rest of them be my friends. That's terrible, isn't it?"

"Yes," Amy said immediately. "It is. But...at the same time, I suppose he meant well. The same sort of thing happened to me once."

"It did?" Vivi asked.

"Yes," Amy nodded. "My parents were making trouble for me about being with your father, and your sister Felicity and her boyfriend tortured them for me in order to make them more accepting. It was horrible, of course...but it helped me pull away from them and realize where I really belong."

"So should I do something for King in return?" Vivi asked.

"If you want to," Amy replied. "Go ahead."

* * *

Not wanting to be in any sort of debt to King, Vivi sat down at the desk in her room, grabbed some paper and the pen her mother had enchanted to do all her writing and spelling for her until she could do it herself (she'd also used the pen to write the note to Kol) and wrote out a message for King (with special red ink), before thinking about what to get him as a present. She then remembered that his mother wasn't allowing him to have people blood, so she sneaked down to where the blood was kept, but couldn't get the door open. She didn't want to ask her father for help because she thought he wouldn't like what she was doing, so she just put some of her blood in a vial and put it in her bag to give to King the following day.

* * *

The next day, King went into class, hung up his coat, put his bag up on the hook, and then discovered a note in his cubby hole that was written in what looked like red ink.

_Thank you for your help the other day. Even though killing people is wrong, you meant well, and I appreciate it. This is written in blood, but I didn't kill anyone for it. I got it from Daddy's stash of people blood. And I saved a little container for you too. Just don't give any to your daddy._

_Vivi._

Intrigued, King reached farther into his cubby and found the vial, wishing passionately that he could drink it all now. He'd never had people blood before, despite his father's urging. His mother told him he could have people blood when he was thirteen, but now, thanks to Vivi (who wasn't so bad, despite being a girl) it looked like he'd not have to wait after all.

It took all morning, but when the other kids lined up to go to lunch, King sneaked away to a corner where no one would see him and took the vial of blood (over which Vivi had put a spell to keep it cold) out of his pocket, casting a hunted look around to make sure no one saw him, and then opened the vial. But then he started badly when he heard the voice:

"I see you got my present!" Vivi said from behind him. "Do you like it?"

"I suppose," King replied. "I was just about to eat it before you interrupted me. Now you just scamper away cause I'm not sharing."

"I didn't say you had to," Vivi replied. "I just wanted to make sure you got my thank you."

"I did," King replied. "It was in my cubby and everything. And you don't have to worry. There's no chance I'm giving this to my dad."

"Good," Vivi smiled. "Well, enjoy." She then turned and walked away while King opened the vial, and drank the blood, shutting his eyes and savoring the flavor, cause it was, without a doubt, the best thing he'd ever tasted.

When it was gone, he heard a voice at his shoulder. "So," Vivi said, "Did you like your present?"

"Yes," King nodded. "It was wonderful! Was it really people blood?"

"Yes," Vivi replied. "It was. I know your mom doesn't let you have any and I wanted it to be a good surprise for you."

He began circling her and looking around her bag, throwing her things out of it and onto the floor.

"What are you doing?" She asked. "Stop messing with my things!"

"Give me more blood!" King said. "I can't wait for more!"

"I can't do that," Vivi replied. "I'm sorry. I only have a small amount!" Then, a smile curved her lips. "Unless..."

"What?" King cried desperately, giving her a shake. "What? I can't go back to drinking animal blood like my mommy wants! I'll do anything!"

Hearing this, Vivi's eyes widened. "Really? I'm so glad you said that! Cause we might be able to cut a deal...but you probably wouldn't like what you'd have to do for it, so never mind."

She began to walk away and King grabbed her. "What part of 'I will do anything for human blood' do you not understand?" He asked, his voice low and angry. "Just tell me the price!"

"You have to do what I say for...a week!" Vivi cried. "Will you?"

"Do I get blood after?" King asked.

"Well, yes!" Vivi replied. "I'm no liar!"

"Okay, thank you!" King replied and actually kissed her hand.

Vivi then handed him her bag. "Take this," she said. "It's heavy and there's a long way I have to walk. Then I want you to, um...sit by the door and wait until my class is over, so you can carry my books again!"

"Fine," King shrugged. "I can do that!"

"Good," Vivi replied. "And no complaining or you won't get your blood!"

"I would never!" King replied, and Vivi led him to her next class and smiled as he put her bag on the table and went to sit outside the door.

* * *

"And how was school?" Klaus asked Vivi.

"Good!" Vivi replied. "Daddy, have you ever had somebody in your life who does exactly what you say cause they have to?"

"You mean, like a servant?" Klaus asked. "Or a lackey? Yes, I've had many of those. One in particular is still around. His name is Alistair. Well, actually, he's not _really_ my lackey. But he was for a long time. Why?"

"Cause I have one now!" Vivi replied. "Carries my books and everything."

Klaus gave her a hug. "Only six years old and you already have a lackey?" He sniffed. "I'm so proud! You're really living up to your family name."

Vivi smiled. "I do what I can," she said. "I like having a lackey. It's fun!"

"Yes," Klaus nodded. "It certainly is!"


	25. What's It Worth To You?

The next day, at lunch, King brought Vivi her food, and when she saw what was on the tray, she frowned. "Where's my dessert?" She asked. "You forgot about that!"

"They didn't have any more pudding!" King cried and tried to conceal the cup of chocolate pudding he'd gotten for himself in his jacket so Vivi wouldn't see it. "And you said you didn't want anything else."

Biting her lip, Vivi sat down and munched on her French fries, before staring deeply at King, her eyes narrowed. "What's under your jacket?" She asked. "What are you trying to hide from me?"

"Oh, nothing," King replied, stepping back a little. "It's nothing you'd be interested in."

"Oh, I don't know," Vivi replied and snatched the pudding cup out from under his coat, staring at it with wide eyes and shaking it in his face. "You _lied_ to me!" She cried. "You're a big, fat liar!"

"Well, that's _my _pudding cup!" King cried. "It's not my fault I got the last one!"

Vivi then opened it in front of him and licked some of the pudding off her finger. "I have to ask, which is more important to you?" She said. "Chocolate pudding you can have any time, or blood your mom won't let you have for _years_?"

"Oh, don't be silly," King replied. "I can get as much blood as I want without you! I only agreed to this stupid deal because my mom doesn't want me to get caught and be killed."

"So you can't_ really_ get all the blood you want, can you?" Vivi asked. "You're totally dependent on me to give it to you, which means you have to do what I say."

King's eyes narrowed and then he suddenly remembered something and zapped himself up another pudding cup. "I forgot that I can have as much pudding as I want. Enjoy the rest of yours."

Vivi's eyes narrowed, her joy in stealing his pudding suddenly dissipated. She stirred it around as he ate and finally went to throw the half eaten pudding cup in the trash before coming back, stomping on King's foot, and then striding angrily from the lunch room.

* * *

King knew that he'd promised to do things for Vivi so she would give him blood, but after the incident with the pudding at lunch, he began to ask himself if it was all worth it. He didn't like being humiliated by a girl, and he was sure that his father would scold him for it, too. He decided he had to fight back, like he'd already done. Just in little ways, of course. He wasn't stupid enough to break the deal entirely. He waited by her door for her to get out of class, and when she came out, he tripped her so she fell on her face.

"Have a nice fall?" He asked her. "I hope those rug burns don't hurt too much!"

"You're breaking the rules!" She cried. "No blood for you!"

"Technically I'm not," King replied. "I'm still doing whatever you say, but I'm also choosing to rebel a little when you act like a jerk. Do you understand?"

"Oh, my goodness!" Vivi cried and magicked a bucket above King's head. "If you want pudding so bad, have it!" Then, the bucket turned, making the chocolate pudding inside spill all over King as Vivi sauntered to her next class.

After King cleaned the pudding off himself and was about to clean up the rest of Vivi's mess, a teacher came up to him. "Aren't you supposed to be in class?" He asked.

King quickly froze him, cleaned up the rest of the mess, unfroze him, and then walked away, reaching the classroom and reluctantly sitting next to Vivi.

"What took you so long?" She smiled.

"Oh, like you don't know," King replied. "Shut up!" Then he lapsed into silence as the teacher came in and stared at them. "Everything all right in here?" She asked.

"Yes!" Vivi nodded, giving King a hug while he tried to push her away. "Everything is fine!"

"What are you _doing?"_ King asked when Vivi released him, a look of disgust on his face. "Have you gone _crazy?"_

"I was just trying to show the teacher that we were getting along so we wouldn't get in trouble," Vivi replied. "I didn't enjoy hugging you either!"

"Okay," King replied. "As long as we both agree that you're disgusting and full of germs."

"We do _not_ agree to that!" Vivi whispered angrily.

"Okay!" Their teacher said, coming to the head of the class. "Does everyone have their things for show and tell?"

"Yes," the class replied, holding up various things. Vivi volunteered to go first and as she talked, King zapped a whoopee cushion onto her chair, causing the class to burst into giggles when she sat down and her face went as red as her hair.

"All right, all right everyone," their teacher said. "Let's calm down now. It's just a normal body function, nothing to laugh about."

Vivi spent the rest of class glaring at a smirking King when the class wasn't looking. She was beginning to regret writing him that thank you letter, and wished he hadn't drunk the blood already so she could steal it back from him cause he didn't deserve it.

* * *

When the school day was finally over, King carried Vivi's bag to Amy's car, said 'Hello' to her mother, then went to join Selina.

"Is that the little boy you've been fighting with, Vivi?" Amy asked. "You ought to be ashamed of yourself. He seems perfectly nice. He even brought your bag out here for you. That was very gentlemanly of him and you should have said 'Thank you'."

"He's no gentleman!" Vivi protested. "He put a whoopee cushion on my chair during show and tell. It made a farting noise and everybody laughed at me!"

"I'm sure that his carrying your bag was his way of apologizing for that immature behavior," Amy replied. "Tomorrow, you thank him."

"No!" Vivi shook her head. "I did that last time and he just got meaner and meaner!"

"All right, I give up!" Amy replied, throwing up her hands. "I can see that this isn't getting us anywhere, so as long as you and King aren't hurting each other, I'll just keep my mouth shut."

"Good," Vivi replied and gave a brief nod. "That's a very good idea, Mommy."

* * *

"How long did it take the two of you to get along and stop wanting to kill one another?" Amy asked Kol and Margot the next day.

"We really didn't start getting along well until Margot got pregnant with Regina," Kol replied. "Why?"

Amy sighed. "I thought you would say that. It's a bummer."

"Is this about King and Vivi?" Margot asked. "Are they still fighting? Regina hears all sorts of things from King about the two of them when she goes to visit Mikael."

"Yes, they're still fighting," Amy sighed. "I've tried to get Vivi to be civil cause he seems like a very sweet boy, but she won't go for it. She says the impression I have of him is false, and she should be allowed to hate him as she wishes."

"I hate to tell you this," Kol told her. "But Vivi is right about this one. King's not a nice boy at all. He's even worse than me."

"And that's saying something, coming from _him_," Margot added.

"But when I last saw him he was carrying Vivi's bag for her, and he spoke to me with such courtesy," Amy replied. "How can he be that bad?"

Kol sighed. "Amy, listen to me: I know that being married to Nik, you haven't had a lot of communication with my father, but he's never had any desire to raise sweet, angelic boys. After getting through his style of parenting, you're either a take no prisoners warrior who does everything Father says, or the type that rebels against it. No sweetness, no charm. Unless they want something, that is."

"And remember that he has Gwen as a mother too," Margot added. "Remember how surprised we were when Rebecca come out nice, and how _not_ surprised we were when we found out what a big mess Robbie is? Between the two of them, King doesn't really have a chance."

"Poor boy," Amy sighed sadly.

"Oh, I wouldn't worry about him too much if I were you," Kol replied. "I bet he enjoys his lot in life."

"And I'm not saying he shouldn't," Amy replied. "He's a vampire, he should be allowed to be a vampire. I just wish that he and Vivi would get along, and that I wouldn't have to wait until something like a pregnancy years from now makes that happen!"


	26. A Night In The Wild

Doing things for Vivi kept King out of sorts, and his little acts of revenge against her turned out to not be as satisfying for him as he wanted them to be, especially when one of the little pranks he pulled (knocking her off the monkey bars) knocked the wind out of her when she hit the ground and left her with a scraped knee.

"I'm bleeding!" She cried melodramatically when she was able to speak again and saw the injury. "King, you son of a bitch! Get down here and apologize!"

King, who was still hanging from the monkey bars, zapped himself down and came to stand over her. "Are you okay?" He asked. "I didn't think you'd be hurt that bad when I pushed you. I'm really sorry."

Then he leaned down and tried to stem the flow of blood from the wound in her leg by sucking on it. "That's kind of good!" He said when he lifted his mouth from her leg. "Just like the stuff in the vial you gave me!"

"All people blood tastes like that," Vivi replied, trying to calm herself after feeling his lips on her knee, which hadn't been a bad feeling other than him slobbering all over her. "Now get me a bandage!"

"All right," King replied. Even though she knew the cut would heal quickly, he disinfected it (as Gwen had taught him, just in case) and put the band-aid on before helping Vivi to her feet. "There you go," he said, holding on to her until she got her balance. "All better."

"It _should_ be," Vivi's eyes narrowed. Then he watched as she limped away to the swings and was joined by the girls, so he decided to climb the jungle gym until it was time to go inside again for class.

* * *

After he hurt Vivi on the monkey bars, King was much more careful about taking out his frustration on her, and took it out on the other kids in his class instead. One particularly bad day led to the playground being strewn with the bodies of wounded and dead children, and it left the teacher so horrified that she called the news media, and the story was on the ten o'clock news, which Mikael happened to see. He stared at it for a long time, his frown getting deeper and deeper until he swore and went in search of King, who he promptly slapped. "What happened at school?" He asked King angrily. "All those bodies on the playground: did you do that?"

"Yes," King replied, putting a hand to his cheek. "I was having a bad day! Vivi wasn't being nice!"

"So hurt _her_!" Mikael replied. "Hurt her or kill her if you have to. But going after that many humans is just stupid. I thought I taught you better than that. Do you know what happens to vampires who do things that get them noticed?"

"What?" King asked, feeling afraid.

"I have to kill them," Mikael replied.

King swallowed. "Even me?"

"Yes, son," Mikael replied. "Even you. I'll have to do it soon before you can cause any more trouble."

King looked at him for a long moment and then ran to his room to throw things in a bag.

"What are you doing?" Gwen asked him when she came in with his laundry. "Are we going somewhere that I don't know about?"

"I have to leave!" King said urgently. "If I don't, Daddy is going to kill me!"

"Oh, no, he wouldn't!" Gwen replied. "Don't be ridiculous! What would make you think something like that?"

"He told me!" King said, his eyes wide. "Cause of when I killed the kids at school and it got on the news!"

"Oh, that?" Gwen scoffed. "Don't be silly. Your father wouldn't kill you for that!"

"He said he was!" King said, his voice rising with panic. "So I'm leaving!"

Gwen rolled her eyes. "This is just ridiculous!" She strode into Mikael's office without knocking (although that was nothing new) and brought her palms down hard on the desk, which caused Mikael to look up.

"And just what is your problem, woman?" He asked her, standing up and frowning.

"What sort of horror stories are you telling our son?" She asked him angrily, putting a spell on him so that he was tied to the chair and couldn't leave. "He's upstairs preparing to run away cause he thinks you're going to kill him! Explain yourself right this minute!"

"Well, you saw that news report about all those dead children with their throats torn out!" Mikael replied. "People are going to start beating down our doors any minute if I don't do _something_! You were supposed to teach our son the consequences of not keeping control of his temper!"

"I did!" Gwen replied. "I really did! And _you_ should shut your mouth before I put in action the consequences of _you_ not keeping control of your temper: taking King, and leaving!"

Hearing this, Mikael froze. "Now, now," he said in a more congenial tone. "Let's not do something in haste that we're both going to regret later."

Gwen crossed her arms. "So are you going to tell King you won't kill him?"

"I won't actually do it, of course," Mikael replied. "But you and I both know we don't want another news story about him, so I think that letting him be scared for awhile would be very beneficial. Don't tell me you never resorted to the same sort of tactics with Rebecca, because I wouldn't believe you."

"You better not kill him," Gwen replied. "That's all." She removed the spell and left, slamming the door behind her, and went to hug King and assure him that everything was going to be okay.

* * *

Despite his mother's assurances, King was still jumpy, something that didn't escape Selina's notice as she drove him to school and every noise on the freeway made him twitch and look around anxiously.

"What's the matter, bud?" Selina asked. "Are you okay?"

"Daddy said he was gonna kill me!" King repeated. "Mommy said I wasn't in trouble, but I'm still scared!"

"Oh, honey, you don't have to be scared!" Selina replied. "As long as you have someone in your corner who's willing to stand up to your father, you'll be fine!"

"How do _you _ know?" King asked.

"Cause your father wanted to kill _me _once too, a long time ago," Selina told him. "I lost my temper and killed one person too many, just like you did. And he chased me around Europe for years until I finally talked to your brother Elijah and he got me on a boat out of France just before your dad was gonna catch me."

"So does that mean I need to take a boat to France?" King asked.

"No, you don't," Selina replied. "I think that you'll be fine."

"Are you sure?" King asked as they stopped at a stoplight.

"Yes," Selina hugged him while keeping one eye on the light. "I'm sure."

* * *

"What's in the suitcase?" Vivi asked King when she saw him dragging it in and putting it by his cubby.

"I'm running away," he said. "Otherwise my daddy will kill me."

Viv considered this and thought back to when her mother would take her shopping in Paris, always holding her hand and telling her that she wasn't old enough to go anywhere by herself.

"You really think you have to go?" She asked. "Then I'll come with you. You shouldn't go by yourself."

"No, you shouldn't do that," King replied. "I don't need a baby sitter!"

"Well, then you're not leaving!" Vivi replied, taking his suitcase away. "Either I come with you when you run away, or you don't go at all! My mommy says people our age shouldn't go anywhere alone!"

"Why do you even want to come with me?" King replied. "I made you hurt on the playground. I'm a bad, _bad_ person!"

"Not always," Vivi replied. "I mean, sometimes you can be really annoying, but that doesn't make you bad."

"Well, thank you," King replied. "You know, that's what Selina always says."

"So, when do we go?" Vivi asked.

"After school," King replied. "There are woods behind school. We can stay there."

"All right," Vivi replied. "I'll be ready."

* * *

After school, King took Vivi's hand and approached Selina's car. "Ready to go?" She asked. "I didn't know I'd be taking Vivi today too. Amy never said anything."

"Take this note," King said, catching Selina's eyes. "It says that Vivi and I are running away to the woods to get away from my daddy. Vivi is coming so I won't be alone. And make sure no one worries, okay?"

He then moved his hand in an arc to make doubly sure it would work, and Selina smiled. "Have a good night kids!" She said brightly, note clutched tightly in her fist. She then got in the car and drove away.

"I feel sorta bad about doing that," King confessed to Vivi once Selina was gone. "But I had to. She'll forgive me!"

They then headed into the woods and King showed Vivi how to catch little forest animals to feed on until nightfall when he pulled some pajamas out of his suitcase and zapped up a large bed that looked very out of place in the forest. "Come up here!" He urged, holding his hand out to Vivi. "It's getting chilly."

Vivi let him pull her onto the bed where she zapped a night gown on herself and they snuggled together under the blankets. As night progressed, King felt himself start to get lonely. "Vivi?" He asked her. "Are you awake?"

"Yes," Vivi whispered back. "I'm too cold to sleep. Are you cold?"

"Yes," King replied. "And hungry." He and Vivi then hugged to keep warm, and he was surprised to feel her kiss his cheek. "I miss my mommy," she said.

"I know," King whispered back, trying not to cry. "I miss my mommy too."


	27. A Little Vengeance Doesn't Hurt

"Where is my son?" Mikael asked, striding into Elijah and Selina's house and pushing Selina against the wall. "He was in your care, and he hasn't come home! What did you do with him?"

"Didn't you read the note?" Selina repeated. "He and Vivi ran off to the woods and said not to worry. Everything will be okay!" She smiled. Then, Mikael turned to Elijah. "I cannot believe you let this irresponsible woman bear your children!"

"I'm sure she didn't mean to," Elijah replied. "It's not like her at all!"

Mikael just huffed and left the house, heading back to Gwen, who was glaring at her husband from the front step. "So did you find him?" She asked.

"No," Mikael shook his head.

"Figures," Gwen replied. "You hardly looked at all. I knew I should have gone myself!" She strode down to face him, scowling deeply. "Now we're both gonna have to go. I had a manicure scheduled today, but thanks to your ineptitude, I'm going to miss it!"

"Well, boo-hoo," Mikael replied. "I mean, granted you need all the beauty treatments you can get, but you'll just have to go without them today."

"I oughta slap you," Gwen muttered.

"Well you'd have to catch me first," Mikael replied.

"I could," Gwen shot back. "But for now, just get in the car, okay? And the less I have to speak to you the better."

"Why are you spitting all this venom at _me_?" Mikael wanted to know. "I wasn't the one who lost King."

"Well, yes, but I mean think about it," Gwen said. "Selina is just a normal vampire, when you get down to it. She didn't have a chance against our very determined son and his very duplicitous nature that he undoubtedly inherited from you. Therefore, this is all your fault."

"Well, there's a big surprise," Mikael muttered. "What else is new?"

"What did you say?" Gwen asked.

"Nothing," Mikael said, and started the car.

* * *

He had been looking for hours in the woods for several hours and was starting to curse Gwen's name when he finally came upon his son and Vivi. He grabbed her by her hair and King by his arm and began dragging them to the car. "I don't know what the two of you were thinking!" He said as they struggled. "Don't you know you worried _everyone_?"

"I left a note!" King cried. "Don't yell at me!"

"We are gonna have a serious talk when we get home, young man!" Mikael scolded. Finally, Vivi, who had been flailing and trying to get herself free, cried, "Let me go!" And kicked between Mikael's legs, causing him to cry out in pain and let her go. She ran away and King chuckled while his father groaned on the ground. "See?" he smiled. "I told you Vivi was a problem!"

Oh, just go to the car," Mikael said irritably, trying to ignore the pain he was in and stand up.

"Want me to get Mommy to come and help you?" King asked.

"No," Mikael replied. "That is the _last_ thing I want. Go to the car and tell her to wait for me, all right? I'll get there eventually."

"All right, Daddy," King replied and ran to Gwen.

By the time Mikael was able to get to the car, Gwen was smirking at him. "So," she said, openly laughing, her blue eyes sparkling. "I hear you got bested by a little girl."

"I know you're mocking me right now, and we'll deal with that later," Mikael said. "But your eyes look really pretty just now."

"Well, aren't you just the world's best suck up?" Gwen asked. "Nice try."

"Can you stop being kissy with each other and get in the car?" King asked impatiently as he tried to pull his mother away from his father. "I'm very cold!"

"Well, let that be a lesson to you not to run into the woods overnight," Gwen told him. "And when we get home, we'll be discussing your punishment."

"Punishment?" King asked. "Wasn't staying in the woods all night with Vivi bad enough?"

"Certainly not!" Gwen replied. "You're gonna write Selina an apology letter and then I'm gonna take you to remove the compulsion from her and you'll apologize again to her face."

"Oh, I don't think that much apologizing is necessary," Mikael replied. "By doing what he did, he's avenging _years _of humiliation that woman caused me."

"So let me get this straight," Gwen told him. "Not only did you get bested by Vivi now, you and Selina also had some confrontation that she won _years_ ago?"

"I told you that," Mikael replied.

"You never told me what it was, though," Gwen replied.

"Well, you don't really need to know what it is," Mikael replied. "The point is, she did something wrong, much like King did, but instead of facing the consequences of her actions, she got Elijah to help her evade them by appealing to his annoyingly sensitive nature, thus managing to make me look like a fool _and_ alienate me from my son at the same time."

"Wow," Gwen replied. "I liked her before, but I like her even _more_ now!"

"Oh, I knew you would," Mikael replied. "Now, can we just stop talking until we get home? I'm getting a headache."

"I bet that's not the only part of you that's aching," Gwen said slyly.

"I don't know why you think that's so funny," Mikael told her. "It means we can't do certain things for who knows how long!"

"I can tolerate that," Gwen replied. "The question is, can you?"

* * *

"...He had me by the hair and was hurting me, so I just kicked him in the boy parts and he dropped me so I ran away," Vivi said. "I think he was crying too!" She peered at her father who held her on his lap. "Why are _you_ crying, Daddy?" She asked. "Was it cause I ran away? I'm sorry. I won't do it again."

"Of course I don't want you to run away again," Klaus replied. "But I'm crying cause I'm so happy! After years and years of wanting to take revenge against Mikael and not being able to, my daughter kicks him in the crotch and makes him cry." He hugged her. "I'm so proud!"

Vivi then looked at her mother. "Am I gonna be punished?"

"Well, what in the world made you think you needed to run off in the first place?" Amy asked.

"King was worried that his daddy was gonna kill him cause of when he killed the kids on the playground, so he told me that he wanted to run away to the woods and you always say that little kids shouldn't go places without buddies, so I told him I would be his buddy."

"How about that?" Klaus asked Amy. "Vivi's using your own rules against you. Clever."

"Are you going to make a habit of running off to the woods without telling anyone, or will this be the only time cause you've learned it's not a good idea?" Amy asked.

"I won't do it again," Vivi said. "I promise."

"Good," Amy replied. "Then I think we don't need to go any further with this discussion."

"Really?" Vivi asked in surprise. "I don't get any punishment?"

"Unless you _want_ some," Amy replied. "Then I'll gladly think of something."

"No," Vivi shook her head. "I'm good." She then ran off to her room to play, leaving her parents alone.

"That Vivi," Amy sighed, putting a hand on Klaus' leg. "Not as troublesome as Savannah to be sure. But _sometimes_..."

"You know, she is _nothing_ like I thought she would be," Klaus said.

"Really?" Amy asked. "What did you think she would be like?"

"Oh, I don't know," Klaus shrugged. "More girly perhaps. But I don't think I've ever seen her in a dress since she's been back."

"Oh, it's been longer than that," Amy replied. "I was able to get her in dresses until she was about two years old, and then she started to fight me about it. I literally could not put a dress on her without her throwing a fit and her powers just wreaking complete havoc, so I finally just gave up and let her wear pants all the time."

"How flexible of you," Klaus said, then sucked in a breath as he noticed her hand going up his thigh, closer and closer to his zipper.

"I'm flexible in lots of ways," Amy whispered, her voice breathy as she nibbled on his ear. "Want me to show you?"

"Oh, believe me," Klaus grinned and pulled her onto his lap. "I'm very aware of your particular talents. But yes, I wouldn't mind a demonstration."

"Okay," Amy said and leaned forward to kiss him. Not really feeling in the mood to have sex on the living room sofa, Klaus picked her up and carried her to bed where foreplay was brief and they were naked in no time.

"You know," Klaus panted as he pushed into her and brushed her hair out of her eyes. "We have five years of this that we missed."

"Very true," Amy replied. She then paused. "I-I don't think I've fed today. Would it be all right if I...fed on you? Just a little nip, I promise."

"Oh, love, take as much as you want," Klaus replied. "I don't mind." He then watched her face change, and he had a few seconds to marvel at the beauty of her face, to reach up and stroke her hair before she sank her teeth into his neck and, mixed with the brief feeling of pain was the even more pervasive feeling of having an orgasm rip through his body, the strongest one he'd had in years, which left him sweaty and shaking. As Amy licked the last trickles of blood from his neck, she said, "I hurt you, didn't I? See, I knew feeding from you was a bad idea!"

"Oh, don't be silly," Klaus replied. "It's the best idea you've ever had. And you can't truly hurt me. It's impossible."

"But you look like you've been through something that just sucked the air out of you," Amy remarked.

"It wasn't as bad as all that," Klaus replied as Amy ran her fingers through his hair. "In fact I liked it...very much."

"Well, good," Amy replied. "That makes me feel better."

Klaus chuckled. "I know other things that would make you feel better too."

"Of course you do," Amy replied, running her nails down his bare chest and licking the blood up again. "Wanna show them to me?"

"I do," Klaus replied, moving her so he was on top. "You have no idea."

* * *

Before she went to bed that night, Vivi zapped herself to King's room to make sure he was all right, and she brought a little present with her. "Are you okay?" She asked, moving the blankets off his head and peering at him.

"What are you doing here?" King asked.

"I just wanted to make sure you're okay," Vivi replied. "So are you?"

"Yeah," King nodded, his voice quiet. "Mommy didn't spank me or anything. I just had to apologize a lot."

"Good," Vivi nodded. "I was worried about you."

"I'm glad you got away," King told her. "And thank you for kicking my dad. That was funny."

"Daddy thought so too," Vivi replied. "I should probably go before anyone finds out I'm missing, but..." She dropped another little vial next to him on the mattress. "That's for you. I hope it makes you feel better."

"Is this the real stuff?" King asked, drinking it down greedily.

"You're welcome," Vivi replied. "But you still have to carry my books and stuff at school tomorrow."

"Okay, I can't wait," King said in a distracted voice. "Good night."

"Goodnight," Vivi replied, and disappeared from sight.


	28. Just Me And My Sister

"Do you ever feel like we need new friends?" Jonathan asked Savannah. "I mean, don't get me wrong. I love Susanna and Marcel, but...Christmas just made me realize that I miss talking with people!"

"You want more fancy warlock friends that you can relate to," Savannah nodded. "Am I right?"

"Yes," Jonathan nodded.

"Well,_ I'm _not much for friends," Savannah replied. "But if you want them, I suppose we could try looking. Although I'm not sure how many would stay once they knew that I'm half-vampire."

"You're forgetting what that wonderful law of Astrid's has done for the magical population," Jonathan told her. "For all you know, we could find a couple just like us!"

"All right," Savannah replied. "You pick them. I really don't care."

"Not even the tiniest bit?" Jonathan asked her. "Don't you ever get the urge to socialize with people who aren't, you know, me or related to you, or married to someone who's related to you?"

"No, not really," Savannah replied. "And even some that are related to me, I wish would stay away!"

Jonathan sighed. "And here I thought you bonding with our kitten was a sign of you softening up a bit."

"Minnie is an animal, and I think animals are easier to deal with than people," Savannah replied. "For one thing, they can't talk back to you."

Jonathan then zapped the kitten so she began speaking. "I love you, Savannah," she said in a squeaky little voice. "You're my favorite person in the whole world!"

"Really?" Savannah hugged the kitten. "How sweet."

"Damn," Jonathan replied. "I was really hoping she'd say she hated you."

"Why?" Minnie asked.

Rolling his eyes, Jonathan zapped the cat into silence again. "Stupid cat," he said. "Can't depend on it for anything. I just want to see people! How hard is that?"

"Frankly," Savannah replied, "I think we should focus less on getting new friends and work more on your fear of children."

"Oh, no. Not that again!" Jonathan ran his fingers through his hair. "We don't need to worry about this yet."

"I'm not saying I want to have kids now," Savannah reassured him. "Heck, I probably want to wait longer than you do. But you know Susanna? Well, of course you do, but...her dad/my brother Adrian and his wife Helene had this big fight about them having kids cause he was scared about having hybrid children too, and since they didn't talk about it, when her Aunt Felicity popped up, Adrian left Helene and didn't talk to her for twenty years. Do you want that to happen to us?"

"Well, of course not!" Jonathan replied. "But how do you propose to ease my fears?"

"It's almost the weekend," Savannah said. "I could talk to my mom about having Vivi come to stay. I mean, I know she's not a baby or anything, but she's still a kid. Is that close enough?"

"Of course," Jonathan replied. "I suppose I could give it a try."

"Good," Savannah nodded. "I'll see what Mom says. Not gonna ask Daddy, of course, cause we already know what he'll say."

"Yes, we do," Jonathan nodded. "Yes, we do."

* * *

"What would you say to visiting your sister and Jonathan this weekend?" Amy asked Vivi on Thursday night. "Would you like that?"

"I would be gone for the _whole_ weekend?" Vivi asked.

"Yes," Amy nodded. "Now, if you don't want to, you don't have to, of course."

"No, I want to!" Vivi cried. "Ever since King and I kissed at Christmas, he's obsessed with me! He needs me to hang out with him all the time, and if I stay with Jonathan and Savannah, he won't even be able to call!"

"Do I need to talk to Gwen about this?" Amy asked, her voice full of concern.

"Thank you, but I think I can handle it," Vivi replied. "You don't have to be involved."

"All right," Amy replied. "If you're sure. I'll go call Jonathan and Savannah and tell them you're coming."

"And I'll go tell Daddy," Vivi said, getting up off the sofa. "Hopefully, if I tell him, he won't be mad."

"Oh, he will," Amy nodded. "But if you tell him, he'll be _less_ mad, I think."

"Okay," Vivi said, dashing off to Amy and Klaus' room. "I'll be back in a minute!"

Vivi reached her parents' door and knocked on it as loudly as her tiny fists would allow. "Daddy, are you in there?" She asked. "Can I come in?"

"Sure, darling," Klaus called back. "Do you need help with the door?"

"Yes, please," Vivi replied. "It's too big!" Klaus then got out of bed to come and open the door for her, then picked her up and sat her on his and Amy's bed.

"What can I do for you, darling?" He asked her. "Did you just come in to chat?"

Vivi gave him a hug and said, "Don't be mad, Daddy, but I'm gonna go stay at Savannah and Jonathan's house this weekend, okay?" She kissed him on the cheek and then waited for the yelling.

"Did your mother give you permission to go to that place?" Klaus asked, his voice tight and quiet.

"Yeah," Vivi nodded. "She thinks I'll have fun!"

"Well, just because she thinks you'll have fun doesn't mean you have to go," Klaus replied. "Do you really want to go, or not?"

"I wanna see the kitten again," Vivi replied. "I'm sorry, Daddy. Don't be mad at me."

"Oh, who cares?" Klaus huffed. "You do what you want as long as it's not dangerous. It's not like I can stop you."

"Thank you for not throwing a fit about this," Vivi told him. "I 'preciate it." Then she went to tell Amy his decision, which later had a condition put on it that Vivi could go, but Klaus would be the one to drive her to Savannah and Jonathan's. Though Amy was dismayed, she nevertheless agreed to it to keep Klaus' fighting and fussing at a minimum.

Vivi didn't tell King before she and Klaus left for Jonathan's, and tried not to think about how he would react to that when he saw her at school on Monday. When Klaus dropped Vivi off in front of Jonathan and Savannah's house, she said, "Okay, you can go now. I can get to the door by myself."

"Oh, don't be silly," Klaus replied. "I'll come in with you. I want to see your sister."

"Mommy told me not to let you come with me to the door," Vivi replied firmly. "So you have to stay here. When I get inside, I'll tell Savannah to come out."

Klaus rolled his eyes as she left him standing in the driveway and went up to knock on the door. Jonathan and Savannah hustled her inside and then Savannah went out.

"Vivi said you wanted to talk to me?" She asked.

"Yes, and apparently I'm not allowed to go inside," Klaus said. "So how are you?"

"Good," Savannah replied. "Fine. We had a lovely Christmas with Jonathan's family. Sorry I couldn't make it to Aunt Selina's party."

"You didn't miss much," Klaus said. "Except seeing King and Vivi kiss."

"They did?" Savannah asked. 'Well, that's unexpected."

"I want you to watch your sister like a hawk tonight," Klaus requested. "Make sure that Putnam doesn't pay too much attention to her."

"All right, I will," Savannah assured him. "Everything will be fine here. I think you need to go home to Mom, and I need to go inside so Jonathan doesn't die from fright after being stuck with Vivi so long."

"All right," Klaus replied as he opened the car door. "But tell your sister that if she wants to come home for any reason to just give us a call. She knows the number!"

Savannah ignored this last bit of information and went inside to see that her husband and sister were getting on surprisingly well.

"You know, I thought I was going to have to come rescue you," Savannah told her husband. "But you seem all right."

"We've been playing with the kitty," Vivi told her sister. "And then Jonathan is going to show me where the cookies are."

"Good," Savannah replied. "Just don't take a lot of the ginger snaps. They're mine."

"Which you are perfectly willing to share with your adorable sister," Jonathan told her firmly.

"Fine," Savannah replied. "Whatever."

* * *

After they'd played with the cat and ate cookies, Jonathan put on the music from the Nutcracker and taught Vivi how to dance to it.

"You're a very good dancer," Vivi complimented her brother-in-law.

"Thank you," Jonathan said. "I've had lots of practice over the years." Then, he looked at Savannah, who stood at the entrance to the living room. "Would you like to cut in?" He asked her. "And show your sister how to do it properly?"

"Well, of course!" Savannah replied. "But remember, she has to be in bed by eight-thirty."

"Oh, come on!" Vivi groaned. "It's the weekend! Can't I stay up?"

"I promised Mom I would send you to bed on time," Savannah replied. "So a few dances and probably a cartoon or two, and then you put on your pajamas, brush your teeth, and go to bed."

This news put a damper on Vivi's good time and as the time for her to go to bed got closer, she sneakily moved it back a few hours.

"Okay," Savannah said, knowing the proper time. "Let's get you upstairs to bed, Vivi."

"No," Vivi shook her head. "It's only seven o'clock. I still have an hour and a half!"

"No," Savannah shook her head and showed her watch. "It's eight-thirty and I know you changed the time on the clock. Now go up and get in your pajamas while I change it back."

"You're no fun!" Vivi cried and stomped off to bed, her plan thwarted.

"You handled that well," Jonathan replied. "I wouldn't have known what to do."

"Well, surprising as it may be, I _do_ have a bit of my mother in me," Savannah replied. "And it showed up at a good time."

"Do you think she's gonna give us more trouble?" Jonathan asked. Then, the house went dark.

"Oh, shit!" Jonathan cried. "What's happened?"

"If I have to go to bed now, so does everyone!" Vivi called before bursting into giggles. "Goodnight!"

"She does know that magic can't turn lights back on, right?" Jonathan asked as they carefully made their way to their room. "Or should we tell her?"

"We'll tell her in the morning," Savannah replied, swearing as she stubbed her toe. "_After _we magic in an electrician. And we'll try and do more to distract her tomorrow."

* * *

"Where _were_ you?" King shouted at Vivi when she got into school Monday morning. "I didn't talk to you all weekend! It was so _boring!_"

"I was at my sister's all weekend," Vivi told him. "Daddy took me."

"Well, you should tell your daddy that he can't take you anywhere without telling me first," King replied, taking her arm possessively.

"Were you scared that I was dead or something?" Vivi asked, detaching his hand from her arm.

"Well, no, cause we can't die!" King said quietly. "But even though you're a girl and all, I'd rather be with you than my mom and daddy."

"That's very nice," Vivi replied. But despite the fact that she didn't seem mad, King sensed that something was wrong. When it was time for everyone to sit on the story rug, Vivi didn't sit next to him, but next to another boy. And then she and that same boy played together at recess, and he even picked her some flowers.

"Who is that?" King asked Vivi as they headed inside after.

"What does that matter?" Vivi asked. "He's a friend."

"No, he's not!" King shot back. "Do you like him cause he gave you flowers? I can give you flowers." He zapped up some daisies and handed them to her. "See? Those are better."

"You can't even go a weekend without me!" Vivi said. "It's crazy! I think we need to make some new friends, okay? Don't be mad."

"Why would I be mad?" King asked. "It's not like my feelings are hurt or anything."

"Good," Vivi replied, ignoring his sarcasm. "I mean, I know we did mistletoe at Christmas, but that's it."

"Well, that's fine," King replied. "I like that you're playing hard to get."

"I'm not playing hard to get," Vivi replied. "I just need some space!"

"Oh, sure you do!" King shot back. "That's why you like the guy who gives you stupid flowers!"

Vivi rolled her eyes and got out her pencil and paper for handwriting practice.

"Okay," their teacher said. "Now that we've practiced all the letters of the alphabet, I want you to write me something on the paper. It doesn't have to be long or perfect, just get some words down."

Vivi decided to write "I love cats" on her paper, and then sneaked a look over at King's paper, since he'd seated himself next to her. She read what he wrote, and, grunting in anger, stomped on his foot, causing him to cry out.

"King, please be quiet," his teacher said. "Your classmates need to concentrate!"

"Vivi stomped on my foot!" King cried.

"That's cause he wrote 'Vivi is stupid' on his paper!" Vivi cried. "That's not nice!"

Their teacher sighed. "And I thought the two of you were getting along so well," she said.

"We were," King nodded. "But Vivi ruined it. Does she have to come with me to the principal?"

"Can I trust you two not to hurt one another anymore?" The teacher asked.

"I'll keep my hands to myself," Vivi replied. "But I don't know about him."

"King, go sit on the other side of the room," their teacher ordered.

"Fine," King replied and got up. "I didn't want to sit here anyway."

"Then why did you?" Vivi asked.

"None of your business!" King replied. He took a seat on the opposite side of the room, and, true to her word, Vivi behaved herself, so when her relationship with her new 'boyfriend' made King mad, it was him alone that got sent to the principal's office while Vivi got to stay in class.


	29. Love And War In The Schoolyard

"Gwendolyn, we are taking him out of that school!" Mikael thundered at Gwen. "Did you know that idiot teacher of his sent him to the principal _again_?"

"God forbid he gets disciplined for doing something wrong!" Gwen replied. "King, what did you do now?"

"Nothing horrible," King replied. "I just got in a teensy fight in class, and the teacher told me not to be noisy, and I was because Vivi was making kissy faces at her new boyfriend."

"Well, you're never too young to learn lessons about girls, King," Mikael began. "And the first rule is, don't let them know that they've won! If you see Vivi with a boy, you either kill him, or move on, and show her what she's missing!"

"You're right!" King replied. "I'll do that, Daddy!"

"You _do _remember he's only six, right?" Gwen asked, her eyebrow raised.

Mikael shrugged. "It's like I told him. It's never too early to learn."

"I fear for his adulthood if that's what you're teaching him," Gwen replied. "He'll probably be murdered by an angry ex-girlfriend. Or at least they'll try, since he can't be killed."

"And then he'll kill them first," Mikael replied. "What's the problem?"

"Never mind," Gwen rolled her eyes. "There's no talking to you when you get like this, is there?"

"Exactly," Mikael grinned. "So why do you even try?"

Gwen left and King smiled at his father. "I'm gonna start making Vivi jealous tomorrow," he said.

"Good boy," Mikael replied and patted his head. "Let me know how it turns out."

* * *

He came into school all prepared to tell Vivi off and make her upset, but she, apparently, had seen it coming and was making every effort to confuse him. "_Bonjour, grand salaud!"_ she greeted him. "It means 'Hello, you big stupid idiot,' in case you were wondering."

"You're gonna be sorry you're being so mean to me," King told her. "Just you wait."

"I don't think so," Vivi replied and went to sit next to her 'boyfriend', while King, despite what he'd promised his father, looked on jealously. He knew that getting a little girlfriend of his own would make Vivi sorry, and by recess, he'd compelled himself someone, and when Vivi found the girl on her usual swing, she was certainly taken aback.

"Who's this?" She asked.

"Oh, just a girl I like," King replied. "You speak French, apparently. What's French for 'I have a girlfriend, so there'?"

Vivi's hands balled into fists at her side, but she took a deep, calming breath and gave him a serene smile. "I don't know," she said. "And even if I did, I wouldn't tell you." Then, out of the corner of her eye, she saw him whisper something in the girl's ear, then the little girl hopped off the swing and kissed him on the cheek.

"Well, isn't that nice?" He smiled. "Did you see that, Vivi?"

"Yes, I saw," Vivi said through her teeth. "And I don't really care."

"Sure you do," King replied, feeling the thrill of victory surge through his body. "But you can just keep telling yourself you don't if it will make you feel better."

With a growl, Vivi grabbed her 'boyfriend' and dragged him over to King so she could kiss the boy square on the mouth and King would see.

When she pulled away, the boy's eyes were wide and he spit all over the ground before threatening to tell the teacher and running away.

"Well, isn't that funny?" King replied. "He didn't even like it. You must be a lousy kisser."

"I am_ not!_" Vivi replied, straightening up a little. "I'm a great kisser! I'll even come over there and prove it to you if I have to."

"Oh, no thank you," King replied. "I don't think that's something either of us would want."

"I wanna do it anyway," Vivi replied, coming over to knock him off the swing, then pulling him up and kissing him. He let her go on a little longer than the boy had, and then said, "That's okay, I guess. Sort of like when my mommy kisses me. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go." He then grabbed his 'girlfriend's hand and walked away, and Vivi growled again, running to kick King on the bottom so that he toppled on the gravel and then got up with her annoying laughter ringing in his ears.

* * *

"You know, you and Klaus should come out with us sometimes," Margot told Amy. "After all the holiday stuff, you probably wouldn't mind a night out, would you? Or you could just bring Vivi over and we could all hang out at the house. Regina even said she's not got any plans in the next week or so."

"Are you sure?" Amy asked. "How could a fourteen year old not have any plans? I mean, not that you and Kol aren't wonderful people, but what kid her age would rather spend time at home than with their friends?"

"Maybe we're just lucky," Margot shrugged. "She's never even mentioned any boys at school."

"Which probably means she's got a surprise one up her sleeve," Amy said. "She's your kid, remember."

"Oh, I haven't forgotten," Margot replied. "Don't worry. Maybe she's trying to pull something now. She was supposed to be back from her study group half an hour ago. You think I should go look for her? Or should I just assume she'll be fine and wait until she gets back. You're the more responsible parent, Amy. Tell me what to do!"

"Well, Mom spent so much of her life worrying about you and trying to mold you into who she thought you should be that she gave herself a stroke, remember?" Amy reminded her sister. "I'm sure it'll be fine. I suppose if she's not back in an hour or so, you could go look for her if you wanted, but you don't have to."

"I will," Margot replied. "After my wild youth, I know what she could be getting up to and it's _not _pretty."

* * *

Regina grabbed her phone out of her purse when she heard it beep, stopping on the sidewalk to check the message that had arrived.

_Regina, meet me in real life?_

_YF_

YF meant "Your Friend". She didn't know his name, or even what he looked like. He'd first left a written note of elegant, flowing script in her locker with his number on it a month, saying that he found her pretty and here was his number in case she wanted to talk.

Part of her knew it was stupid and possibly dangerous, but she couldn't resist. And telling her parents wasn't an option either. She typed back, "Meet me at the coffee shop on the corner by the high school. I'll be the one in the hot pink leather jacket."

She sent the text and wanted to head straight to the coffee shop, but her plans were stifled by her mother and aunt pulling her into their car and driving her home to give her a lecture about being out late and not calling to tell them she was alive. By the time she was able to get away to meet her friend, he looked to be just leaving as she came in the coffee shop door. She could tell it was him from the dirty look he gave her on his way out.

"Sorry," she said as she ran to catch after him. He turned, his ice blue eyes drilling into hers, and making her shiver. "Maybe this wasn't the right time, Regina. Goodbye."

"Well, just a minute!" Regina called, running after him for awhile, even though he didn't turn or otherwise acknowledge her presence. "It's not my fault I was late! It's my mom's! Give me another chance! When can we meet again?"

But he said nothing more to her, leaving her standing alone on the sidewalk as he drifted away from her and disappeared.


	30. Love Kept A Secret

"So, how are you planning on getting to school today, Vivi?" Amy asked her on her first day of her second year of high school. "I can drive you if you want."

"Thank you, but no," Vivi said. "The cool kids' parents don't drive them to school."

"Well then how are you planning on getting there?" Amy asked. "We've already discussed that zapping yourself to school is a bad idea."

"That's why I'm having King drive me," Vivi replied. "He offered, and even though he still annoys me, I said 'Yes'."

Just then she heard a horn honk outside. "That's probably him!" Vivi darted out the door without saying goodbye as King got out of his car and grabbed her, kissing her deeply as his hand rubbed her butt.

"What are you _doing_?" She asked, slapping him. Although he was still a good kisser, she couldn't let him know that.

"That was your fee for my driving you," he said. "I can't take your money, so I picked the next best thing."

Vivi's eyes narrowed. "You are such a rat!"

"You're looking very nice today too," King replied, as Vivi tried to ignore his sensuous mouth and bright, sparkling eyes.

He pulled her against him and they started kissing against the car until Vivi noticed Amy looking out the window out of the corner of her eye."Stop, stop!" She cried. "My mother is looking, and I don't want her to see."

"Why not?" King asked. "Are you ashamed of me?"

"So much," Vivi nodded. Then she muttered under her breath. _"Tu m'enrages! Je ne sais jamais si je dois te taper sur la gueule ou te déshabiller?"_

"Oh, it gets me so hot when you speak French," King smirked. "What did you say?"

"I wanna slap you," Vivi replied, trying to keep the blush on her cheeks at bay, cause she couldn't tell him she wanted to rip off his clothes too. "Right in the kisser. Cause you really piss me off."

"Oh, I know," King grinned. "It's part of my charm." Then he spanked her bottom. "Now get in the car. We don't wanna be late."

Vivi glowered at him as she climbed in the backseat. "Why are you so eager to get to school?" She asked. "You hate it!"

"I didn't say we were going to school," King replied. "And why don't you sit up front with me?"

"I feel safer in back," Vivi replied, eying his big hands and long fingers with trepidation, as she tried to squelch thoughts of him using those fingers to stroke her. "I'll stay here, thank you."

"I guess that's fine," King replied. "When we get where we're going, I'll fit back there with you better anyway." He gave her a wink that made her have to grip the back of her seat tightly so she wouldn't sprint over it to sit next to him and got in the driver's seat. They drove down the street for awhile until King finally pulled off on the shoulder and parked, climbing into the backseat next to her.

"Why are we stopping now?" Vivi asked, staring out the window in confusion. "I don't even know where we are!"

"We aren't anywhere in particular," King replied, climbing next to her in the backseat. "I just couldn't wait anymore." He then took her in his arms, his bottom lip against her earlobe as he whispered, "How about we stop playing around now? I like you, and I know you like me, no matter how much you try to deny it." Then he blew in her ear and Vivi felt tingles in places where she definitely did _not_ want to feel tingles. He ran his fingers through her long red hair, looked deeply into her blue eyes, and then kissed her, deeply. Although she resisted, it was only a few seconds before she was kissing him back, moaning as he nipped at her neck and his hand went under her shirt to unhook her bra. But when she felt her bra just hanging under her shirt, that's when she broke the kiss and pulled away. "I-I can't do this," she said. "I-I have a boyfriend! I can't cheat on Tim!"

King scoffed at this. "Tim is_ not _a boyfriend," he told her. "He is the lapdog that you've used as a way to avoid me since we were six. It's really me you want, so just stop lying to yourself and admit it!" Vivi began shaking her head, but he began nuzzling her neck again, and bit down, not hard, but just enough to draw a small amount of blood, which he lapped up while Vivi cried, "Yes!" She was in such ecstasy that she didn't see the beautiful blonde in jogging attire who, noticing King's car parked on the shoulder, had jogged across the street and tapped on the window. They pulled apart and Vivi, still in a delirious haze after all the kissing, started a little when she saw the woman peering in the car window. "King!" she cried and shook him. "Who's that looking in the window?"

"Oh, dear me!" King cried dramatically, putting a hand to his chest. "That's my girlfriend, Natalie! I've always wanted you two to meet and I figure now is as good a time as any!"

Vivi pushed King away as she blushed furiously. "You didn't tell me you had a girlfriend!" She cried. "Why were we just doing what we were doing if you have a girlfriend?"

"Well, between us," King whispered while Natalie continued to knock on the door and shout to be let in the car, "I really don't like her. She's just a way to pass the time until I can get you in my bed instead."

"Oh, you're disgusting!" Vivi spat. "Now drive me to school, or I will. And I've never driven a stick shift before. It would be a shame if I stripped the gears of this very nice car of yours..." She stroked the gearshift with an evil grin on her face and King watched this for a few seconds, trying to control his breathing before he climbed into the passenger seat, ordered her to sit and buckle her seatbelt, and then started the car, finally opening the window to talk to Natalie, who gave him a hard slap and yelled that she was breaking up with him before he compelled her to forget that she saw him and Vivi and sent her on her way. Then he and Vivi drove to school, and she did her best to try and avoid him, although since their lockers were so close together, she couldn't avoid taking a peek at his muscular body when he wasn't looking. "_Mon Dieu,"_ she whispered to herself. "_Il est comme un Dieu Grecque." _ King was a god walking among lowlier beings. She hated to admit that to herself, and she would never tell _him_ that. He was far too self-absorbed already without her adding to it.

* * *

"So...when are you gonna bring boyfriends home?" Kol asked Regina. "Or is it you like girls and aren't ready to tell us yet?"

"No, I like boys," Regina replied. "I just know that if they came here to meet you, they'd probably break up with me straight off. And would you stop taking stuff from my apartment so I have to come back here to get it?"

"Don't worry," Margot told her. "Your father will respect your privacy from now on. No pushing you about boyfriends or anything."

"Thanks," Regina said gratefully. "I haven't found the right man yet."

"You're twenty four," Kol said. "You know how many kids you would have had by now if you'd have lived in the days before I turned?"

"I'd probably have died in childbirth if I lived before you became a vampire!" Regina snapped. "And there's just no one I want right now."

But then her phone beeped. She went to check the message and gasped.

_Hello again, Regina. It's been a long time. Miss me?_

_YF_

"Who's the message from?" Kol asked, trying to look over her shoulder.

"It's not from anyone!" Regina snapped, trying to keep her phone out of his sight. She went to her room and texted her friend back.

_Do I get another chance? Where should we meet?_

_Regina_

Not knowing how long it would take before he answered her back (if he even did) she tried to keep the message from her mind, and when her cousin Liam called, she was grateful for the distraction.

"Your dad still wanting you to bring a date home?" The only son of Adrian and Helene asked her. "Cause if he is, my offer to pretend to date you so you can get your dad off your back still stands."

"Oh, Liam," Regina smiled. "You're a better friend than lots of guys. Yes, Dad is still harping, but I think I've got a prospect lined up."

"You do?" Liam asked, taken aback. "Who is it?"

"I don't know I lot about him, actually," Regina replied. "We've hardly even spoken. But I've seen him and he's very handsome."

"What's his name?" Liam asked.

"I don't know," Regina replied.

"You don't even know the guy's name and you want to date him?" Liam asked, his tone aghast. "I know you're desperate to get your dad off your back, but dating a guy you don't even know? That sounds dangerous!"

Just then, her call waiting beeped and without so much as a 'Goodbye' to Liam, she took the other call. "Hello?" She said. "This is Regina."

"Hello, Regina," said a silky smooth voice with an Irish accent. "How are you?"

"Good," Regina replied. "How are you?"

"I'm fine," he told her.

"Listen," Regina told him. "Could you tell me your name? It feels weird that you know mine, but I don't know yours."

"Declan," he said. "Declan O'Leary."

"Well, hello, Declan," Regina replied. "So...you wanna meet sometime. I know I missed you at the coffee shop, but I promise it won't happen again."

Declan chuckled at this. "You'll get to see me eventually, Regina. Just be patient. But now isn't the right time."

"When _is _the right time?" Regina wanted to know. "Please tell me."

"That's my business," Declan replied. "But when the time comes, you'll know it. I promise." Then he ended the call without even so much as a goodbye, and for just a split second, Regina wondered if just maybe Liam was right about Declan. But then she shrugged the feeling off, put her phone under her pillow, and dreamed of the day handsome Declan O'Leary would finally show up on her doorstep, and she could take him to her father and say, "See? I have a boyfriend after all, and here he is."


	31. Letting It All Go

"How was the ride home from school?" Klaus asked Vivi. "Did _that boy_ behave himself? Your mother told me that he came to pick you up this morning."

"Did she tell you anything else?" Vivi asked, thinking of King's hands on her butt.

"No," Klaus nodded, eyes narrowing. "Should she have?"

"No," Vivi shook her head. "Goodbye!" She raced to her room and gasped when she found King sitting on her bed. "What are you _doing_ here?" She asked. "Don't you know it's bad manners to magic yourself into someone's house without knocking?"

"Well, if I had knocked, your father wouldn't have let me in, would he?" King asked. "So I had to be more resourceful."

"What do you want?" Vivi asked tiredly. "I think I've almost had enough of you for one day."

"If I apologized for Natalie, would you be less mad at me?" King asked.

"No, I would not," Vivi replied shortly. "Now, if you don't have any reason to be here, you can just go away!"

"All right," King replied. "But before I go..." He pulled her to him and gave her a kiss. This time, his hands stayed on her waist and it was Vivi who deepened the kiss, which was broken when something fell in the hallway and she heard Klaus swear. "My dad is coming," she said. "You have to go now!"

"All right," King sighed. "I suppose I can deal with it. But why don't you stop by and see me sometime?"

"Maybe I will," Vivi replied. "If you're nice to me."

"I have to be _nice_ to you?" King asked. "Since when has_ that _been part of our relationship?"

"Well, it hasn't been frequently, but it is sometimes," Vivi replied. "And would your parents let me in if I just showed up on your doorstep?"

"Dad wouldn't, but Mom probably would," King replied. "She's more sensible that way."

"Fine, I'll see what I can do about coming to visit you, but you're gonna have to leave now!" Vivi whispered urgently. "I mean, do you want my dad to come in here?"

"You _do_ realize that your dad can't hurt me, right?" King asked as he stood up.

"Oh, he can hurt you," Vivi said. "He just can't _kill_ you." She began pushing at him. "So will you go now? _Please_?"

"Fine, I will," King replied. "But don't forget your promise to visit me!" He disappeared then, leaving Vivi alone in her room, wondering whether she should actually visit him or not.

* * *

The next day, Vivi was doing her homework during a free period when all of a sudden, there was a _bang!_ like a gun being shot or a bomb going off, and then the room (and later, as they were to learn, the whole school) was plunged into darkness. Vivi closed her book, stood up, and, trying not to get hurt or trampled by the people who were starting to panic, she zapped herself to King's math classroom, seeing if she could find him and they could get the hell out of the darkness.

Finally, the overpowering smell of his cologne brought her to him. "King?" She whispered, standing in front of a figure that she presumed to be him and coughing. "King, is that you?"

"Yeah," King said as everyone headed out. "It's me." He took her hand.

"What the hell happened?" Vivi asked. "Did...did you do this? I know it wasn't me."

"Yes, all right?" King replied. "It's bad enough to have to be in math class, but we have a sub today, and he's a total ass! He singled me out, and he just keeps picking on me and picking on me. It finally got to be too much and all the power went kaboom."

"I can understand that, I suppose," Vivi replied. "Why is it, do you think, that magic can blow out electricity but not bring it back on?"

"Maybe because blowing it out is easier than fixing it?" King replied. "Who knows?" He walked behind her and held onto her waist as they made their way carefully through the dark school and out into the into the parking lot. "We might as well go somewhere else," Vivi shrugged. "It's not like we'll be able to get anything done in the dark."

"You want me to take you home?" King asked as he started the car. "Or...I could take you to _my_ house."

"Going to your house would probably be better," Vivi replied. "My dad's home now, and so going there is not a good idea."

"And you know who's at_ my_ house?" King asked, a smile on his lips. "Nobody! Isn't that handy?"

"Is your mind _always_ in the gutter?" Vivi asked. "If you're gonna draw me into having sex with you, the least you could do is feed me first."

"All right," King said agreeably. He then noticed a jogger making his way down the street. "What about him?" He asked, pointing. "He looks awfully robust."

"What about him what?" Vivi asked cluelessly.

"You wanted me to feed you, so there's your meal right there!" King pointed impatiently. He then got out of the car and zapped the clueless, frightened jogger in the backseat and buckled him in extra tight so he couldn't move.

"You get the first bite," King said as Vivi looked at the struggling man in disgust. "Go ahead."

"I don't feel well," Vivi said, finally turning away from the man. "I would like for you to let him go, and then take me to your house."

"Oh, come on!" King laughed. "You can't be serious!"

"I _am!_" Vivi replied. "I don't eat people."

"Have you ever tried?" King asked. "How do you know you don't like it if you've never tried?" He then climbed into the backseat and bit the man's neck. He let out a cry and Vivi shut her eyes. "There you go!" King cried. "All you gotta do is lick the blood up now. I'm not taking you home until you have a little." He put some of the man's blood on his finger and held it out to her. "Just a little taste?"

Vivi pulled away at first, but then felt her tongue slide over her lips. She leaned closer and closer until she not only licked the blood from King's finger, but grabbed his hand and bit into that too, sucking greedily.

"You're right!" She said, looking up with blood dripping down her chin. "That _is_ tasty!"

"I didn't mean you were supposed to bite _me_!" King replied, wincing.

"Why not?" Vivi asked. "You're so _yummy_! Besides, I've let you have my blood before, so it's only fair that I get some of yours."

"I've never had your blood!" King cried and finally remembered to zap the jogger away. "What are you talking about, you crazy woman?"

"Remember when we were kids and you helped me make friends so I gave you that 'Thank you' note and that vial of what I said was people blood?" She asked. "And you thought it was so tasty? Well, actually, it was _my_ blood you were drinking. You just didn't know." She grinned widely, showing blood-stained teeth.

"Well, that explains a lot," King replied, trying not to look too shocked. "I mean, I've had _lots_ of people blood since you gave me that vial and none of it has been as good as what you gave me."

Vivi smiled and gave him a hug, the scent of his cologne not so repulsive now. "What do you say we make a trade?" She whispered devilishly in his ear. "You take some of my blood, and I'll take some of yours?" Then she bit his neck, more gently this time, slowly savoring the blood that was flowing in her mouth. Meanwhile, King grabbed her wrist and took a long sniff of the perfume she wore before gently taking a bite of his own.

They stayed like this for some time, seeming like they were just floating in space with only each other to hold onto, until finally, Vivi detached herself and King was brought back to reality as his neck healed.

"Well," he said, clearing his throat after letting her wrist go and swallowing. "That's certainly better than takeout, wasn't it?"

"Yeah, definitely," Vivi nodded, and kissed him hard before releasing him and letting him drive her to his house.

* * *

Meanwhile, Vivi's sister was not having as good a day. "Minnie is dead!" She yelled at Jonathan. "I hadn't seen her for awhile, so I went down to the basement and I found her dead body!"

"Well, is it still down there?" Jonathan asked her. "What did you do with it?"

"It's in a shoebox in the basement," Savannah said. "I wanna bury her and have a funeral."

"For a _cat_?" Jonathan asked in surprise. "Why?"

"Cause she was part of our family!" Savannah cried. "How heartless are you?"

Jonathan sighed. He felt it was a bit unnecessary fuss so much about an animal, but since part of him was proud Savannah was showing compassion for _something_, he zipped his lip and played along, going down to the basement and getting the box, then following her back upstairs so they could take the cat to the yard and bury her. It was then that he confessed something.

"I think I know what might have killed her," he said. "She's been getting on in years, you know? She's not as effective at catching mice as she used to be, so I thought I would help her. I put little poison pellets around the basement that look like something mice would eat. She probably ate some of them herself on accident."

He then waited for Savannah to get angry with him, but instead she just wiped her eyes and said, "I suppose you meant well. You didn't mean for her to die."

"Exactly!" Jonathan replied. "And we can always get another one. I know that that won't make up for Minnie's loss but it will be something."

"We _do_ need to get another cat," Savannah nodded. "And also, do you think that we could at least _talk_ about having a family? I mean, it's been ten years already. Soon my mother is going to start asking questions!"

"First we'll bury the cat, _then_ we'll talk about family planning," Jonathan said firmly.

"And we better do it," Savannah replied. "No more excuses. You know, it's weird that I'm pushing so hard to have kids when I thought it would be you."

"I told you, I'm just a little nervous about raising so powerful a child," Jonathan replied. "This will take some planning."

"My mom did it," Savannah reminded him. "And I was an accident!"

"I might have to talk to your mother then," Jonathan said thoughtfully as he handed Savannah the box with Minnie in it and grabbed a shovel from the shed before he went to the yard and began digging the hole to put the cat in. "Although I know it will irritate your father immensely."

"Oh, don't let that stop you," Savannah replied as she put the box in the hole. "Mom will calm him down somehow."

"I know that," Jonathan replied. "But what worries me is what can happen _before_ your mother gets a chance to calm him down. He'll show me no mercy."

"Then I'll come with you," Savannah replied firmly. "He wouldn't dare attack you while I was in the room."

"You think?" Jonathan asked.

"Oh, I _know._" Savannah assured him, then they did Minnie's funeral and walked hand in hand back into the house.

* * *

"You know," Liam told Regina. "I have this friend that I really think you'll like."

"I told you," Regina said firmly. "I already like somebody. I don't need you to set me up!"

"Oh, yes," Liam nodded. "The mysterious Prince Charming that you've never actually met, and whose name you don't know."

"When you say it like that, it sounds so _bad_!" Regina said.

"That's cause it really is!" Liam replied, pushing a lock of blond hair out of his eyes.

"I can't date anyone else," Regina repeated. "I don't want Declan to think I'm cheating on him."

"'Declan'?" Liam asked, his eyebrow knitting. "Is that his name?"

"Yes," Regina nodded. "I got his name."

"Well, that's a start," Liam admitted. "But I still think it would be safer if you looked elsewhere for a boyfriend."

Regina gave Liam a long look and acted like she cared for what he said, but when she left him and arrived home to a text from Declan, she jumped on it.

_I can't stop thinking about you. I ponder about your lovely figure often and can't wait for the day when I can finally bring myself into your heart and your body, you beautiful girl._

_D_

Regina read the message over and over again. The forwardness of it made her a bit hesitant to respond, but again, she brushed the feelings of nervousness away, took off her shirt and her bra, and snapped a picture with the caption "Just a little something to tide you over." She signed it and sent it to him, hoping he would like what he saw, and then, after it was done, the worry hit her full force again, and she couldn't shake the feeling that she'd just done a _very_ bad thing.

* * *

Declan heard his phone beep, picked it up, and grinned as he looked at the picture Regina had sent him. "Well, you're not a shy lass, are you?" he chuckled to himself, his blue eyes sparkling. "That's good._ Very_ good!"

Just then, the door to his room opened and Declan started as the man he'd only ever known as "Dr. Vladimir" came into his room, looking very severe, his sallow face in a perpetual frown, and his beard and mustache as dark as his shoulder length hair.

"I hope you remember that mission I gave you, Mr. O'Leary," he said. "Because it's very important. I hope you've actually made some progress."

"Oh, I have," Declan replied, showing him the phone picture. "I mean, I haven't let her get that close to me physically, but it seems she's fond of me to some degree, wouldn't you say? She's not even being careful anymore!"

"Wonderful!" Doctor Vladimir laughed and rubbed his hands together. "Keep it up, O'Leary."

"I will, sir," Declan promised, taking his phone back and grinning at the photo again. "I certainly will."


	32. Speaking in Code

"Even though you told me your father is gone, I still feel nervous that he's gonna pop out any second," Vivi told King as he led her to his bedroom. "Are you _positive_?"

"Yes!" King repeated for what seemed like the thousandth time. "Dad took Regina out hunting because Kol and your aunt are worried about her. They think she's being dumb about a boy, but they can't prove it, so they're hoping to distract her. And you _do_ remember that even if Dad _did_ show up unexpectedly, we _could_ just disappear, right?"

"Yeah," Vivi nodded and sat down on his bed. "I guess you're right."

"Of course I am," King replied, undressing quickly, then becoming so impatient that he undresed Vivi too before pulling her tightly against himself and kissing her. "I've got you," he said. "Nothing bad is gonna happen."

He ran his fingers through her hair and down her cheek before backing her up against the bedroom wall before a knock on the door and a shout from his father interrupted them.

"Go hide in the closet," King ordered quickly as they both dressed. "My father can't see you!"

"No, I'm not gonna go hide in a closet!" Vivi cried, looking disgusted. "I'm not scared of your father!"

King growled in frustration and then called his father in. "Well, well, well," Mikael said as he peered at Vivi. "Look who it is. The daughter of my rival, here with my son."

"That's right," Vivi nodded, her arms crossed and her eyes narrowed. "You got a problem with that?"

Mikael grinned. "Just as impertinent as your father, I see. Are you...fond of my son?"

"He has his moments," Vivi answered. "But sometimes, I hate him."

"Well, you'll be happy to know I will do nothing to interfere with your relationship," Mikael assured her. "I trust you. You should come to dinner some night."

"You already ruined it, Dad. We were in the middle of something," King got out. "Can you leave?"

"What were you doing?" Mikael asked.

"I don't wanna hear this," Vivi said. "I think I'll go." She disappeared, leaving King and Mikael alone. "Did you conquer her, son?" Mikael asked, a big grin on his face.

"I was planning on it," King glowered. "Until you interrupted us!"

Hearing this, Mikael ran to the door. "Gwendolyn!" He called to his wife who came running.

"What?" She asked.

"Our son nearly conquered the daughter of my most hated rival!" Mikael cried. "Nearly took her virginity. Isn't that marvelous?"

Gwen slapped him. "No! And don't go encouraging him to treat women like objects. It's _awful!" _She paused and went right close to him. "I mean, you wouldn't tell me to _my_ face that all I was good for was bearing your children, would you?"

"Well, no, of course not!" Mikael replied. "But you are completely different!"

"In that if you tried to start something with me, I'd make it so you'd end up without those man parts of yours that you prize so much," Gwen agreed. "Now, how about you keep your nose out of your son's romantic life, hmmm?"

"Oh, sure I will," Mikael replied, crossing his fingers behind his back. "Your wish is my command, Gwendolyn."

"I still don't trust you," Gwen replied. "But I don't see the point in fighting you either." She left and King burst out laughing. "Wow, Mom's really got you on a leash, doesn't she, Dad?"

"She doesn't!" Mikael snapped. "I am perfectly comfortable in my relationship with your mother and have things under complete control. You just wait until a girl catches you in her web. Being with someone is not as easy as it looks."

"Sure, Dad," King nodded. "Whatever."

"That was a really close call with your dad yesterday," Vivi told King as they sat wrapped in each other's arms in the parking lot of an abandoned supermarket where they knew no one would come and make them leave. Not exactly romantic, but it would do for the moment.

"I know," King replied. "Way to pretend you weren't afraid of him." He grabbed her hand and began nibbling on her fingers while murmering under his breath.

"What are you even saying?" Vivi asked.

"I'm trying to murmer seductively in French just like you do," King replied.

"Well," Vivi chuckled, "it sounds like you're just speaking gibberish to me."

"Fine," King replied. "If you think you're so smart, say something that makes sense!"

Vivi smiled wickedly. "_Si tu ne te pensais pas pour un autre, je te dirais que tu me plais enormément!"_

King grinned and pulled her closer to himself. "Say it again!"

"_Si tu ne te pensais pas pour un autre, je te dirais que tu me plais enormément!"_ Vivi repeated. She could feel that what she was saying really _was _turning him on, although it was more of a slight than an endearment: She thought him handsome, but didn't want to tell him cause he was self-absorbed enough already. But even so, she wanted to rile him up even more. She began pulling at his shirt and once they got it over his head and in the trunk of the car, she stroked his middle and kissing down it slowly until she ended just at the waistline of his pants, then kissed back up again. "_Si doux, comme de la soie; comme je l'aime."_

"Okay, whatever," King replied with a grin as she unzipped his pants and then threw her panties in the trunk before putting her arms around his neck, kissing him, and positioning herself so that he slowly and gently went inside her.

He let out a groan and Vivi flushed a little. "Sorry," she said, pushing her hair out of her eyes. "You'll have to be patient with me. Unlike you, I've never done this before."

"And how do you know I _have_?" King asked. "For all you know, I could be as inexperienced as you!"

Vivi scoffed. "_Avec un chien sale comme ton père, bien sûr que tu l'as fait_!

"You're right," King replied. "If that was an insult aimed at my father and his ambitions for my romantic life, that is. It sounded like it." And as she let out a cry, flipped her so that he was on top. "And I _do_ know what I'm doing."

"So what am I?" Vivi asked. "Your tenth? Your twentieth?"

"Just my third, actually, _Vivian,_" King replied, giving Vivi shivers. "I have a lot less experience than you give me credit for. Just don't tell my dad that."

"We're lucky the top part of these seats can be folded back," Vivi said as she gazed up at a smirking King. "Otherwise, we'd have no space to move at all." She then brought herself up to kiss him as he bit her lip and gently licked up the blood while running his fingers through her long red hair.

* * *

"Putnam," Klaus glared as he opened the door and saw his rival on the doorstep. "What do you want?"

"Oh, I think you know and that's why you look like someone made you eat something disgusting. Now, stand aside and let me pass," Jonathan said.

"Oh, I think not," Klaus said and then moved to slam the door in Jonathan's face before he felt a restraining hand on his arm. "Let him in, Daddy," Savannah said, appearing before Klaus' eyes. "We just need to talk with Mom."

Klaus turned to Jonathan. "You brought _her_ with you?" He asked. "Well, that's not being a good sport, is it?"

"Well, you're not being a very good sport when all we want to do is talk to Mom," Savannah told her father. "Now is she home or not?"

"She's not here, actually," Klaus replied. "I guess you'll just have to come back later."

"I don't think so," Jonathan replied, coming in and sitting on the sofa with his arm around Savannah, right in Klaus' vision, smirking the entire time. "I think we'll stay right here."

Klaus just continued to glare, his eyes on the couple until Amy returned. "Putnam wants to talk to you," he told her, his voice deadpan. "And he brought Savannah with him. No one wants me to have any fun."

"Well, that's cause it's not good to pick on Jonathan," Amy said firmly. "Especially if he hasn't done Savannah any harm."

"Fine," Klaus sighed. "But if he ever _does_ hurt her, I'm not gonna hold back."

"Oh, that won't happen!" Amy replied. "Will you stop worrying?"

"Never!" Klaus burst out.

Amy just rolled her eyes at him, gave him a kiss, and went into the living room where Jonathan and Savannah were waiting.

"What's up?" She asked. "Klaus said you needed to talk to me. What about?"

"Well, this is more _my_ issue than Savannah's," Jonathan replied as Savannah gripped his hand tightly. He pushed his longish dark hair out of his eyes and cleared his throat. "I'm terrified at the thought of having such powerful children. I'm afraid I'm going to lose control of them, bad things will happen, and it will be all my fault. How did you deal with it?"

"Especially since I just popped up out of nowhere," Savannah added.

Amy smiled. "Granted you _were_ one of those little surprises that makes life interesting, I don't think I was ever scared of the thought of having you. Or your sister. And actually," she said, looking reassuringly at Jonathan, "The vampire side is fairly easy to deal with. All you have to do is give a child blood and nourish their powers to whatever level you feel is comfortable."

"And I can do that," Savannah said, putting a supportive hand on Jonathan's shoulder. "It's nothing you need to deal with. If you could handle baby me, our kid will basically be the same thing. And you weren't scared of _me_, were you?"

"Sometimes, yes," Jonathan confessed.

"If you and Savannah work together, parenthood with a vampire/witch baby won't be as terrifying as you think," Amy promised.

"Well, all right," Jonathan replied, looking at Savannah's eager face. "If you say so, I trust you." But he wasn't completely sold and was still silently dreading the day that Savannah would tell him she was pregnant. Cause he couldn't deny her that. It would be heartless of him. Cold, inconsiderate, and heartless, and if he did it, she would probably never speak to him again.


	33. You Give Love A Bad Name

"You know, if you're nervous, we can have a quickie in the car before we meet my parents," King suggested to Vivi as he parked in the driveway of Gwen and Mikael's house.

"No, thanks," Vivi wrinkled her nose. "Wasn't it bad enough that the first time we did it was in a grocery story parking lot? Your parents' driveway is another bad place, just FYI."

"Well, I'm only trying to relax you," King shrugged. "But I know for sure that we'll definitely need to take a tumble after."

"You really have the most romantic way of expressing things," Vivi said sarcastically as he offered her his hand while she was getting out of the car. They then walked up the drive and into the house, knocked, and waited for someone to answer the door. It was Mikael they saw when the door opened. He smiled at them and said, "You know, it's supposed to snow tonight, and you can stay over if you want." He grinned wolfishly. "We have lots of rooms with really big beds."

"What a nice offer," Vivi told him as King pulled her inside. "We'll just have to see what happens, won't we?"

In the kitchen they met Gwen, who gave a much more conventional greeting. "Hello," she said to Vivi. "I'm Gwen, King's mother. You must be Vivian. It's lovely to meet you."

"No one calls her _Vivian_, Mom," King said with irritation. "Her name is _Vivi!_"

"Oh, that's okay if she does," Vivi said quickly. "It _is_ my name after all. Whatever."

"How long until you zap up dinner?" King asked his mother after grabbing Vivi's hand.

"I don't know," Gwen shrugged. "Are you hungry? I can zap it up right now, if you want. It'll just take a second."

"No, not right now," King replied.

"All right," Gwen looked at her watch. "I'll give you an hour, then we're eating. And would you go tell your father? I don't know where in the world he went."

King sighed and rolled his eyes as he pulled Vivi after him in search of his father.

"I saw that eye roll," Gwen called. "I don't think it's so wrong to ask you to do things for me or your father since you live us in this house!"

King just rolled his eyes again and called to his father (without actually looking for him) that dinner was gonna be in an hour.

"Don't you think you should actually make the effort to go find your father and tell him personally like your mother asked?" Vivi asked. "It wasn't an unreasonable or difficult request."

"Dad always says I have to be in control," King told her. "And if I let any woman, even my own mother, tell me what to do, that won't happen."

Then Vivi smiled and began stroking King's arm. "Will you go tell your father?" She asked, smiling slowly. "Please?"

King narrowed his eyes. "Fine, I'll do it," he said. "But that was mean of you."

"I know," Vivi replied. "I'm just the most awful person."

So they went and told Mikael, then King led Vivi to his room and shut the door.

"Huh," Vivi said, looking around, sarcasm in her voice. "I wonder what we're gonna do in here?"

King then began undressing and she scoffed. "You're not much for foreplay, are you?"

He paused after unzipping his pants and brought her into his arms, kissing her deeply. When he pulled away, he said, "There. Is that enough foreplay for you?"

"It's fine if that's all you're capable of," she replied. "I guess it just means I need to take charge."

"Oh, like hell!" King snapped. But he stood there and did nothing until Vivi put a spell on him and he began undressing in more of a stripper fashion, standing at the foot of the bed and throwing his clothes about while Vivi watched with a grin on her face from atop the mattress.

"There," she said with a grin as he climbed on the mattress and was about to open his mouth and complain. She kissed him and as she pushed him down on the mattress, said, "That wasn't so hard, was it?"

"I don't like being treated this way," King told her, his eyebrows knitted in anger.

"Oh, yes, you do!" Vivi replied. "If you were with anyone else, you'd be so damn bored you wouldn't be able to stand it!"

King smirked up at her as she straddled him and he reached up to undo the buttons on her peach colored blouse. He then ordered her to pull the blouse off and throw it in a pile with his clothes as he removed her bra and his hands roamed over her breasts. As he squeezed her nipple, she gasped, the slight pain being followed by a tingle in her panties. He did the same with the other nipple and then, to her surprise, sat up the best he could, grabbed her, and pulled her forward so that she landed on top of him and their lips met. He then flipped her over so he could work on removing everything she wore from the waist down, and soon she was breathing heavily as he was running his hands over her body and looking at her like she was something delicious that he wanted to eat.

"Is this how it started with the human girls?" Vivi asked. "I don't like feeling helpless like a human girl."

"Oh, of course you do, _Vivian_" King smiled. "If I didn't make you feel this way, you'd be so damn bored you wouldn't be able to stand it!" Then, chuckling, he leaned down and nipped her lip as he prepared to push into her. But then, Vivi said, "stop!" And made a zap, before saying "All right, continue."

King then looked down and groaned, seeing not one condom over his shaft, but two. "Oh, come on!" He cried. "You said you were on pills!"

Vivi scoffed. "Figures that you've probably never worn a condom in your life."

"Actually, I have," King replied. "Mom told me that if I got a human girl pregnant, she would die giving birth and I'd get stuck raising the kid cause it can't go in an orphanage, so I'm very acquainted with condoms, thank you. But I thought I'd have it easier with you."

Vivi heard this and burst out laughing. "You mean, since I'm on pills, that automatically relieves you from any responsibility in stopping me from getting pregnant?"

"Well, yeah," King nodded. "That's what I was hoping."

Vivi sighed. "Figures. Just do what you're gonna do before I get any more pissed and decide I don't want to do it anymore."

"Fine," King replied and pushed into her a few times. Eventually, the door to his bedroom opened and Gwen came in. King noticed just in time to shield Vivi with his body, blushing brighter than she was.

"What's up?" Vivi asked calmly while King couldn't even roll off her and meet his mother's eyes.

"Sorry for interrupting," Gwen said. "But it's dinner time, and I wanted to tell King to at least look presentable cause Rebecca's come to join us."

"You hear that?" Vivi said, patting King's head. "Rebecca's come to join us for dinner, so you have to dress nice!"

"Yeah, I heard," King muttered against her stomach. "I'm right here!"

"Oh, and I won't tell your father about this," Gwen promised her son, and said before she shut the door, "I hope you remembered to wear a condom, King. Don't leave all the responsibility on Vivi."

"Don't worry," Vivi promised Gwen. "I made sure he did his part."

Gwen shut the door behind her as King and Vivi scrambled to dress and bit her lip on a smile. It was nice to see her son attached to such a strong-willed girl. She'd probably drive him crazy, but it would do him good in the end.

* * *

"Will King be joining us soon?" Mikael asked. "I have every sense of what he and that girl are doing, but it shouldn't take him so long."

"What do you mean?" Gwen asked. "Why not?"

"Because it's ridiculous for him to be wasting so much time on one girl, when at his age, he should really be taking the time to see what the world has to offer," Mikael replied.

Gwen's eyes narrowed. "Maybe I should pack up and move out so _you_ can see what the world has to offer, if that's what you want so bad!" She cried. "I'll go pack my things right now." She made her way away from the table, but before she got too far, Mikael grabbed her wrist.

"Now, I don't think you were listening closely, Gwendolyn," he said. "I was saying that boys _King's age_ should see what the world has to offer. Not mature men such as myself. That has no appeal to me anymore."

"Oh, right," Gwen nodded. "Sure."

Mikael then cast an eye on Rebecca, who was staring at them and shoveling bread in her mouth. "Now have a seat before we make Rebecca uncomfortable."

"Oh, you're not making me uncomfortable," Rebecca assured him as Gwen sat. "You're just making me feel glad I never married." She then turned as King entered the room. "Okay, we're here and I dressed nice," he told his mother. "Are you happy?" He was wearing chinos and a red shirt with a jacket over it.

"Yes," Gwen nodded. "You look very nice. Now say 'Hello' to Rebecca."

"Hello," King greeted her in a grumbly voice. She didn't respond cause she was too busy staring. He'd grown up a lot over the years, and it showed. "Hello?" King repeated while she still stared. "Are you okay? Do I have something in my teeth?"

"Oh, sorry, no," Rebecca replied, blinking. "I just...I was thinking about how nice you looked," before muttering to herself about needing to find a boyfriend after all, and stuffing her face with more bread while King made sure to sit himself and Vivi as far away from her as possible. And he was very relieved when Regina showed up to join them also, even though she hadn't been invited, at least not to his knowledge. It was the first time he could remember ever being happy to see his cousin.

* * *

Mikael had been correct about the bad weather coming, and Vivi had phoned Amy to tell her that she wouldn't be coming home that night because of the storm, something that displeased Klaus greatly.

"Are you telling me that she's stuck in that house with Mikael and _that boy_?" He asked when Amy came to bed a few hours later. "Who knows what could happen? They could be scheming to do bad things to her! She shouldn't be hanging around boys like King!"

"You know, you sound exactly like my father did when I got engaged to that warlock after I left you," Amy told him. "Said I shouldn't be around you cause you only had one thing on your mind and the engagement to a man of my own kind was best...but did I listen? No, I did not. At least not permanently. You know why? Cause I like you!"

"Well thank you," Klaus replied. "But you're a very sensible person. Mikael has nothing against you. But he has _everything_ against Vivi and me. Who knows what he could use her for?" He got out of bed and then began throwing clothes on.

"What are you doing?" Amy asked. "Get back here!"

"No, I am going to rescue my daughter!" Klaus replied. "And you can't stop me!"

Just then, Amy's phone rang, and she picked it up off the bedside table. "Hello?" She asked, trying to stifle a yawn.

"Sorry to call so late," Savannah's voice said from the other end. "But I just...I wanted to let you know that I'm pregnant. You're the first one I've told. Now I just have to figure out how to tell Jonathan. Goodnight."

She ended the call before Amy had a chance to respond. Feeling more awake, Amy returned her phone to the table and said to Klaus, "I know one thing that will stop you from going to 'rescue' Vivi," she said. "That was Savannah on the phone. She says she's pregnant. And that Jonathan, of course, is the father." She then shut her eyes and buried herself under the covers while Klaus proceeded to destroy everything in their room he could get his hands on. It would be all right, Amy told herself. She'd clean it up in the morning.

* * *

"You know, I have to say that I feel incredibly sorry for Vivi," Regina told her parents a few days later. "Aunt Gwen invited me to this dinner Grandpa had lured King and Vivi to in the hopes that my presence would make him behave himself, but it didn't work."

"What happened?" Margot asked. "And by the way, it's nice to actually talk to you face to face instead of you just staying in your room cause apparently you have better things to do."

"It-it's a school project I'm doing," Regina said. "Now, back to Vivi...Grandpa clearly wanted her and King to spend the night and engage in-"

"What school project?" Kol interrupted. "Is there anything we can do to help you with it?"

"No!" Regina said quickly. "Absolutely not."

"All right," Kol replied, though he still felt suspicious. "If you need help, just let us know."

"Okay," Regina replied. "Whatever." There was then a beep from her phone and she headed to her room, looking at the message, another one of Declan's usual pickup lines. She sighed, thinking more and more about how Liam kept pointing out that she'd not even really seen him in person, and that he didn't seem all that eager to actually meet her. She would have to change that.

_Let's meet in real life, _she wrote. _The coffee shop, just like last time. I'll be waiting for you, Declan. R_

She then sent it, grabbed her purse, and told her parents that she was going out.

* * *

"What have I told you about interrupting me?!" Dr. Vladimir snapped as Declan strode into his lab. "This better be important!"

"She wants to meet me," Declan said. "What should I do?"

"Go meet her, of course!" Doctor Vladimir cried irritably. "But remember, it's too early for you to do what you've been trained to do. So don't touch her. Don't you dare, or years and years of planning will go down the drain!"

"All right," Declan replied. He made his way to the coffee shop and saw Regina sitting at a table, all alone. She saw him and smiled. "Declan!" She cried and gave him a hug. "Sorry it took us so long to meet in person, but it's better late than never, right?"

As he stood in her hug (which he didn't return), he felt his fangs sharpen and his hands ball into fists. But Dr. Vladimir had warned him not to lose control of himself. Not yet. He pushed her away and as she looked hurt, he said, "Sorry. I'm not really a touchy-feely person."

"Well, I guess not," Regina replied, feeling disappointed. "But I guess I can deal with that. There's always later. So, do you want a coffee?"

"I don't eat or drink," Declan told her. "But I'd be more than happy to watch you do so."

"All right," Regina replied, touching him again and making his hand twitch. "Are you okay?" She asked.

"Yeah, fine," Declan replied, trying to control his body. "Just wonderful."

"Okay," Regina replied. "I'm gonna go and order. I'll be right back."

She left and Declan sighed to himself. He had Doctor Vladimir's orders not to kill...but it seemed like they wouldn't be as easy to carry out as he thought.


	34. Baby Blues

"So, have you told him?" Klaus asked, storming into Jonathan and Savannah's house and giving Jonathan a death glare.

"Told me what?" Jonathan asked, looking between Savannah and Klaus in confusion while Savannah's eyes widened and she shook her head. "What reprehensible thing have I done now?"

"I'm pregnant!" Savannah burst out. "Please don't be mad!"

Jonathan's jaw dropped a little. "How can you be pregnant? We were so careful!"

"I know," Savannah cried. "But nothing is one-hundred percent effective except celibacy, and you know_ that _was never gonna happen!"

"And you're happy about this, right, Putnam?" Klaus asked. "Tell Savannah you're happy about it."

Savannah looked at Jonathan. "You don't have to," she said. "Don't worry. After we have the baby, I'll take care of it myself and you don't have to do a thing." She strode off, and once she was gone, Klaus grabbed Jonathan by the collar. "Don't just stand there," he said through his teeth, giving Jonathan a shake. "Go after her!" He dropped him hard on the floor and waited for him to go after his wife and assure her that he was just as happy about the pregnancy as she was. He followed Jonathan to the bedroom where Savannah had run, and watched from the doorway while their conversation took place.

"Don't worry," Jonathan told her. "I'm happy about the baby."

"You are?" Savannah asked as a tear ran down her cheek and she reached up to wipe it away. "Really? That makes me very happy, you know."

"I know it does," Jonathan said, giving her a hug while staring at Klaus who, stony-faced, nodded in approval. "And all I ever wanted was for you to be happy, darling."

Savannah sniffled. "And like I said, I'll take care of the baby since you don't want it as much. You shouldn't have to take care of a kid you're not ready for. I'm the one who wants to have it, so I should."

Klaus was about to open his mouth to say something and then Savannah turned. "I know you're here because you care, Daddy," she told him, "but you can go home now. I think it would be better if you did."

"Are you positive?" Klaus asked. "Cause I would be _more _than happy to be here longer."

"That's not necessary," Savannah replied firmly. "I'm fine now. You can go."

"Oh, all right," Klaus sighed. "But if Putnam gives you any more trouble, you know where I am."

"I know, Daddy," Savannah replied laying her head on Jonathan's shoulder. "Goodbye." Once she was sure he was gone, she went back to Jonathan who insisted she get into bed and rest.

"He's gone," she assured him. "You don't have to worry."

"Oh. I'm not," Jonathan replied. "I've handled your father's venom for years so it's not like this antagonism toward me is anything new."

Savannah sighed. "And thank you for being such a good sport about the baby. I appreciate it."

"It will pain me to see you so ill," Jonathan replied. "But if it's what you want, then so be it. It's not my place to tell you what to do with yourself."

"Oh, I won't be _that_ ill," Savannah said optimistically. "I'm a vampire! We don't get sick! And I'm sure pregnancy will be no different. I've been okay so far."

* * *

It was in the couple of days after this that her morning sickness kicked into high gear, as if her body were desperate to prove her wrong. She was banished to bed and not allowed to come out, a state that made her very grumpy.

"Can I get you anything, darling?" Jonathan called from the other side of the bathroom door. "Or should I just leave you alone?"

"You can kill me if you want!" Savannah cried and then threw up again. "This is horrible. I wish I were dead!"

Jonathan left the bathroom and sighed. Like he'd told her before, it pained him every day to see her so ill. Finally, he came to a decision that he knew would make her unhappy, but eventually, she'd forgive him in the end. Possibly, she'd even thank him. He'd make her lose the baby. Not because he didn't want it. But because he knew, in his heart of hearts, that no matter how sure she was about being able to raise a child, she wasn't ready to do it yet.

* * *

Just cause she felt she needed to make a point, Gwen spent the following weekend at Rebecca's.

"Did you and Mikael have a fight or something?" Rebecca asked her mother as she watched King help Gwen bring in her bags. While waiting for her mother to answer, she watched King's muscles bulge. He had _really_ nice arms.

"They didn't have a fight," he told her. "She thinks Dad's teaching me bad ways to deal with women, so she's giving him a taste of life without her."

"And I hope you learn from this and don't treat Vivi as callously as your father sometimes feels he can treat me," Gwen told him firmly.

King scoffed. "What do you think I am, an idiot?" He paused. "Do you have any more bags? Cause if you don't, I'm gonna go meet Vivi. We have a date."

"Are you going to actually take her out somewhere, or are you just gonna make her sleep with you again?" Gwen asked dryly.

"I don't have to _make_ Vivi sleep with me!" King said, feeling offended. "She does it willingly!"

"Well, I should hope so," Gwen replied. "Or you should be very ashamed of yourself!"

King sighed and put Gwen's last bag down. "Okay, I'm gonna go now before I have to be unfairly maligned anymore. Have a good weekened."

"You're going?" Rebecca asked, running toward him. "How about I walk you out?"

"Okay, I guess," King shrugged. "If you really want to."

"All right," Rebecca nodded. "Just let me grab something before we leave." She went to the kitchen to grab a couple of cookies from a batch that she'd made, put them in a sandwich bag, and handed them to him. "These are for you," she said as he stared at the snickerdoodles in the bag. "I thought you might like a snack for you trip home."

"Thank you, I guess," King replied, feeling confused as Rebecca followed him out to his car. As they headed down the driveway, he was met by a blond boy who angrily snatched the cookies away. "You wouldn't even let _me_ have these!" He cried and then gestured angrily at King. "Why are you giving them to _him?_ I swear, you're becoming as awful as that jerk I'm supposed to call my father!"

"Robbie..." Rebecca sighed at her son as he stormed into the house. He was mostly living his own life now and not telling her a thing about it, but when he _did_ come home, it was always at the most inopportune times.

"Don't bother!" Robbie shouted back. "Just save it!"

"That's just my son," Rebecca told a shocked King. "He's moody like that all the time. If you want the cookies, you can take them."

"All right," King replied. "I will. Thank you."

"And I'll take good care of our mother," Rebecca added. "I promise."

"All right," King said again. "Goodbye."

* * *

When he got home, he found the house empty because Mikael had gone to Kol and Margot's.

"It's much more peaceful without Regina here, isn't it?" He asked Margot.

"I do miss her," Margot said. "But I agree with you, to a certain extent."

"But we're thinking about asking her to come home and live with us again," Kol said.

"Why?" Mikael asked.

"Well, we don't know what's going on exactly," Kol said. "But we think Regina is up to something."

"And it's with a strange boy," Margot added. "I mean, granted she _is_ an adult and capable of making her own choices, but we also don't want her getting hurt."

"If you want my opinion on what you should do..." Mikael began.

"No, thank you," Kol interrupted. "I know what you're going to say, and I think dragging her home by her hair is not the answer."

"Why not?" Mikael replied. "It's because you've failed to take control of her that she's doing such dangerous, unpredictable things! You have to take control!" He repeated.

Kol and Margot heard what he said and stared at each other. Knowing their daughter as they did, if they wanted to keep her in their lives (which was the most important thing) they had to let her do what she wanted, and only intercede if something was really wrong, and so far, aside from some hunches, they had no concrete indication that Regina was in real danger.

* * *

In fact, the one who was in the most trouble was Declan. Regina had asked if he wanted to walk in the park with her, and as usual, Doctor Vladimir insisted he go for the sake of the plan. So now he was uncomfortably walking next to Regina through the park with his arms pressed against his sides so she wouldn't reach out to take his hand.

"Isn't it a lovely day?" She asked as they looked at the smiling families and couples enjoying the good weather.

"Yes," Declan mumbled without meeting Regina's eyes. "It's fine, I guess."

Regina then saw a couple kissing on a picnic blanket and before Declan could prepare himself, she'd pulled him onto a park bench and kissed him squarely on the lips.

"Sorry," she apologized later when she pulled away and saw the shocked look on his face. "I know I shouldn't have done that, but I was inspired."

"I'm sorry," he said, standing up. "But I have to go now. Goodbye."


	35. Catching Up With Family

"Okay, here's some milk," Jonathan said, handing it to Savannah, who was still bedridden. "It's a special recipe of my mother's. It should help your stomach."

"Thank you," Savannah replied, taking it from him, her face so trusting that he nearly snatched it out of her hand and dumped it down the sink. He'd mixed vervain in the drink in the hopes that it would make her miscarry, and covered it up so she wouldn't be more hurt than he needed her to be. He took a deep breath as she put the cup to her lips and drank, letting it slide down her throat. He then waited a few seconds, and she clutched her stomach and began crying. "Oh, god, it hurts!" She cried. "Jonathan, it hurts! What the hell did you put in that?" She breathed heavily as the pain continued, grabbing Jonathan's hand and squeezing hard. After the pain subsided, Jonathan took Savannah to the hospital, where they discovered that, just as Jonathan desired, Savannah had miscarried. She cried all the way home and was still sobbing when Jonathan tucked her into bed.

"I know you're upset about this," he said. "But nature works in mysterious ways and I really think this is for the best."

"Nature my ass!" Savannah lashed out. "I was perfectly fine until I drank that fucking milk you gave me! What the hell did you put in it?"

"Vervain," Jonathan said quietly. "I put vervain in it so you would miscarry."

"But _why?"_ Savannah asked. "Why would you do that to me when you know that I wanted that baby more than anything in the world?"

"You were miserable and ill," Jonathan replied. "I just...I wanted to make you better."

"Stop lying and take some responsibility!" Savannah cried. "You're still freaked out about us having a kid, aren't you?"

"Well, yes, I-I am," Jonathan got out.

"You could have just told me that, you know," Savannah got out. "Instead of acting all happy and telling me everything was okay, and then pulling a stunt like this. I get that you're afraid. But that doesn't give you the sole right to decide what happens to our baby. It's my body too. Don't you think I should have been allowed to decide?"

"Well, you would have decided to keep it," Jonathan replied. "And then where would that leave_ me_?"

Savannah just shook her head. "When my mother found out she was pregnant with me, she and my dad weren't together. Her first instinct was to abort me cause she didn't think she could take care of me by herself if my dad didn't want me. But she asked him first, before she did anything, and as a result of that consideration, here I am. If you had just _told_ me you were _so _freaked out about having a kid that you would rather see me miscarry than watch our child be born, I would have aborted it. I would have taken your feelings into consideration and waited to carry a baby to term until you were ready to experience it all with me. But you obviously don't respect me enough to talk to me like a grown up, do you?" She sniffled. "I suppose that's what happens when you marry a guy who's known you since you were a baby, and probably still thinks of you that way." She started crying again. "I-I can't look at you anymore," she cried. "I'm going home. And when you're ready to treat our marriage like an equal partnership, give me a call, and just _maybe_ I'll give you another chance." She then disappeared, leaving a stunned and shamed Jonathan alone, knowing that he couldn't go after her, cause the last thing he wanted right now was to face her father.

* * *

Since he needed some peace after repeated visits from Rebeccca, who always came bearing more baked goods, King invited Vivi to go hiking with him on a trail a few miles from Gwen and Mikael's house.

"I'm amazed you asked me to do something that doesn't involve sex," Vivi told him as, clutching her hand, he led her along the trail.

"Well, if you feel cheated, we can always get a hotel room after," King said.

"Oh, no, it's okay," Vivi replied. "Just the two of us being here is good enough." She looked over the side of the trail (which was elevated a few hundred feet) and then looked away. "Thank you for holding my hand," she said. "It's too high for me to hike this by myself."

"It's not that high," King replied. "Don't tell me you're afraid of heights!"

It was then that she tripped over a branch and King was so surprised, he let go of her, and she nearly slid to the edge of the trail.

"Hang on!" King called, pulling a frightened Vivi to her feet and holding her to himself. "You're gonna be okay…I promise." He then decided it would be best to take her off the trail and do something lower to the ground, like get ice cream.

"Thank you so much for taking me out today," Vivi told King. "You have no idea how much I needed to get out of the house." She took a few licks of her strawberry cone and King reached for her hand. "Why?" He asked. "What's the matter?"

"My sister was pregnant, and then she lost the baby, and now she hates her husband, and has Dad all stirred up and angry. It's not fun."

"Well," King kissed her hand. "I know I probably have no business asking you this after what my dad acted like when you spent the night, but...if you wanna come stay at my house until things with your dad and your sister blow over, I wouldn't mind."

"Well, thank you," Vivi replied, feeling shocked. "But I...I couldn't impose like that. And things aren't _so_ unpleasant at home."

"If you're worried you might run into my dad-" King began, and then Vivi cut him off. "Yes, that is what I'm worried about."

"Well, Dad left yesterday on a trip," King replied. "He won't be back for a week. Will you _please_ come and stay with me until then? I would feel better if you did."

"Would I have to sleep in your bed?" Vivi asked suspiciously.

"I would_ like_ it if you did, but you don't have to," King replied earnestly. "You can sleep in the room next to mine and I won't come in to see you unless you ask." He paused. "Actually, I might have to move you a few rooms over, cause, you know, I bring girls over and you don't wanna hear all that."

Vivi's jaw dropped. "You're still gonna bring other girls over while I'm there? I thought you only did that to make your dad happy, and now that he's gone for a bit, you were taking a break!"

"I don't_ have_ to bring girls over," King said quickly.

"Here are the conditions under which I will come to your house," Vivi said, her voice tight. "One, I sleep in a room that isn't yours, and two, you have no other girls over while I'm in the house."

"Fine!" King sighed. "But I'm really bad at sleeping alone."

"You'll get better with practice," Vivi promised.

* * *

After a talk with her mother, Vivi went to stay at King's. He set her up in her own room like she'd asked, and was very sad that night when he had to tuck himself in his bed and have no one beside him. It took hours for him to fall asleep, and even then, his fragile sleep was interrupted by a tapping on his shoulder. He turned and nearly cried out when he saw the figure next to him on the mattress, but didn't cry out because the person's arm shot out and covered his mouth with its hand. "Be quiet," Vivi ordered. "You wanna wake everyone up?"

"You...you're in my bed!" King whispered. "But you said..."

"I know what I said," Vivi replied, turning on the light. "But I figure I'll give you a break just this once."

"All right," King replied, playing along. "You're so kind and merciful to be with me just this one night."

"Damn right," Vivi nodded. "It's not gonna happen again." She shut off the light and then King muttered, "Yeah, right!" before chuckling to himself and falling asleep.

* * *

"So how are things with you and Declan?" Liam asked Regina at a restaurant near the park where she and Declan had gone walking. "Should I be looking for where you registered for your wedding china?"

"Well, no," Regina sighed. "Things aren't going as well as I thought. I kissed him and all he did was run off and I haven't heard from him since!"

"You _kissed_ him?" Liam asked, pushing his blonde hair out of his eyes. "Did he want you to?"

"Well, no," Regina sighed. "He's not really a touchy-feely person, but I thought that maybe he'd be so overcome by the nice atmosphere outside that I'd finally get something out of him!"

"Maybe you should take this as a sign and let him go," Liam said. "You're touchy-feely yourself, you need a guy who's the same way."

It was then that Declan strode into the restaurant and up to Liam and Regina. "I would like to apologize for my previous behavior," he said, giving her what looked like a pin encrusted with diamonds. "Take this as a token of how sorry I am for abandoning you."

"Oh, well aren't you sweet?!" Regina cried, not knowing the pin was actually a tracking device with a camera in it. It would allow Dr. Vladimir not only to know her location, but to see her at all times without her knowing. Then she reached out for him. "If I can't hug you in thanks, can I at least hold your hand?"

"No," Declan shook his head. "Your verbal thanks is good enough."

"You're not gonna keep that, are you?" Liam asked, staring at the pin.

"Of course," Regina said, pinning it on her shirt. "It's too beautiful to just throw away! I think those are real diamonds!"

"I can't believe you!" Liam cried, putting a hand to his forehead. "You're coming to dinner with me at my parents on Friday. Maybe my mom can talk sense into you in a way I can't."

* * *

"Another Friday, another family dinner," Adrian said, coming behind Helene, who was stirring a sauce on the stove. "What are you making?"

"It's a surprise," Helene told him. "But in case you're wondering, I'm nearly done. After it finishes cooking, I'll freeze it and thaw it out before I serve it on the thing that it's going on."

"All right," Adrian nodded. He sat at the table and waited for the sauce to finish and once Helene told him she was done, he came up behind her and picked her up, carrying her to the chair where he'd been sitting and sat her down on his lap, nuzzling at her neck, his hand slipping under her skirt.

"Oh, you stop!" Helene giggled. "You're so _naughty_!" She got herself on her feet and he spanked her before taking her in his arms and kissing her. "Of course I am," Klaus and Selina's son said with a wicked glint in his eye. "We've been together long enough that I thought you'd know that by now."

They kissed again, but their embrace was interrupted by the sound of Liam slamming the front door closed and coming inside with Regina at his heels. "I'm home!" He called. "I brought Regina for dinner. I hope that's okay."

"Sure!" Helene called, getting to her feet. "But you know dinner's not for another few hours, right?"

"Yeah, I know," Liam replied and came to sit down on one of the kitchen chairs, and Regina sat next to him.

"So," Adrian said to them. "How was your week?"

"Mine was pretty uneventful," Liam replied. "Except for when I was talking to Regina about her new _boyfriend."_

"Before we get on that very interesting topic, did you think your grandmother for that job she got you at the council? It's a very lucrative position, you know," Helene said.

"She didn't just _give _it to me!" Liam replied, looking offended. "I earned it! You sound like all the sore losers I beat for it."

"Well, I apologize," Helene replied. "I just naturally assumed that she'd given it to you, but if you put in the effort to get it, good for you."

"Not that that will stop people from thinking it was just handed to me," Liam replied dryly.

"I could have been a witch, you know," Regina said, her head on the table. "If my mother hadn't gotten cursed to lose her powers when she was pregnant."

"I didn't know that," Helene replied. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be so bummed," Liam told Regina. "Like I always tell you, it's not as wonderful as it's cracked up to be."

"Doesn't make me any less bummed," Regina replied, like always.

"So," Liam asked his mother after a few moments of uncomfortable silence, "who's all coming tonight? Are we finally gonna get Felicity here?"

"No," Adrian sighed. "It's just gonna be Lenora, James, Henry, Margaret, and Susanna," Adrian replied. "And you, Regina, and your mother and I, of course."

"Not that that's not plenty of people to cook for," Helene replied. "Thank goodness I have powers, or it would take forever."

She finished with everything just in time for the doorbell to ring. "Want me to get it?" Liam asked.

"Yeah, would you?" Adrian nodded as he got out the plates and silverware and put them on the table.

"If I can't do anything to help, I'll go with Liam," Regina said. "I kinda wanna see who's at the door." This wasn't her first dinner with Liam's family, so she knew the other people who were coming at least somewhat. They reached the door and Liam opened it. Standing on the other side was his nephew Henry, and Henry's wife Margaret, who was related to him somehow also, but he was too lazy to figure out how.

"We come bearing a cracker and cheese plate!" Henry called after saying 'Hello' to Liam and Regina.

"It was my idea," Margaret added. "So I can sort of pretend I cooked something."

Henry put the cheese and cracker platter on the table and then Helene looked at what he was wearing. "Why are you and Margaret dressed so fancy?" She asked. "You know it's all casual here."

"Well, we just found out from Margaret's father that her nephew Charlie got engaged, and this is what we we're planning on wearing to the wedding." He indicated his suit and Margaret's green dress. "We came here right after a fitting cause we didn't want to be late."

"Well, you look very spiffy," Helene replied. "Now I feel like I need to get dressed up too."

"I don't," Adrian replied, going for a beer from the refrigerator. "Please don't make me."

"No one said you had to get dressed up," Helene replied. "You're a grown man. You can make these decisions for yourself."

"It's gonna be awhile before we eat, right?" Henry asked. "My parents and Susanna aren't here yet?"

"No," Adrian shook his head. "You two are the first to arrive."

"Good," Henry said. "We'll be back in a minute. Well, it'll take more than a minute, but not too long anyway."

"I can't believe you actually want to do this!" Margaret cried. "You're usually so well-behaved at these things!"

"Well, usually, I don't have to stand in front of some tailor for five million hours with a tape measure close to my crotch, do I?" Henry replied. "I behaved myself, though. Shouldn't I get some sort of reward for that?"

"Maybe, but later, and not in your grandparents' house!" Margaret remonstrated.

"Fine, we won't have sex, but can we at least make out a little?" Henry asked hopefully.

"Fine," Margaret sighed. "But just a little bit. We don't want to be late for dinner." They found an empty room, shut the door, and Margaret pushed Henry against the wall, shrugging off his coat so she could get a good look at the muscles of his arms. As they kissed, she felt his hands go all over her body and even creep under her blouse. But the most he did was cop a feel, and by the time they were done kissing, they realized they'd been in the room for awhile. "You think we should leave here before they come looking for us?" Margaret asked.

"Yeah," Henry nodded and kissed her one more time. "I think we'd better."

"Well, look who finally showed up for dinner!" Henry's father James cried as they approached the table. "I've never known you to be late for a meal before, son. What kept you two?"

"We were looking around and we lost track of time," Margaret said quickly, a deep blush covering her cheeks, her brown eyes not meeting James' blue ones.

"They were kissing somewhere," James told Lenora, a smirk on his face as he ran a hand over her thigh. "I know it."

"You don't need to bring it up," Lenora chided. "Just eat your chicken. And move your hand. We're having a nice dinner for heaven's sake. You're as unable to control yourself as Henry is."

"Well, where do you think he got it from?" James winked and took a bite of his chicken while Lenora rolled her eyes.

"So we know Charlie is getting married," Adrian said, looking around the table. "Any other family news?"

"Savannah lost her baby," Susanna told everyone. "She thinks Jonathan made it happen on purpose and so she's moved back in with her dad."

"Oh, boy, thanks for telling me," Adrian replied. "I'll try and stay clear of _that_ house for awhile."

"You're welcome," Susanna replied.

"What do you mean 'she thinks Jonathan made it happen on purpose'?" Helene asked.

"Well, Savannah's been wanting kids, and Jonathan's a bit freaked out at the thought of producing a super powerful baby, and they just haven't been able to agree."

"Well, _that_ sounds uncomfortably familiar," Helene replied while Adrian looked guilty. "Adrian, maybe we should go to your dad's anyway."

"Yeah, I guess we should," Adrian replied.

"And Regina's got a new boyfriend," Liam announced. "She likes him so much she never shuts up about him."

"Oh, don't you exaggerate!" Regina replied. "His name is Declan. And I think he's rich, cause he gave me the most beautiful pin!" She removed it from her shirt and passed it around the table. "See?"

Meanwhile, as Dr. Vladimir watched the footage from his lab, he smiled. "Interesting," he said to himself. He called for Declan, who came in, dragging a dead body with rope around the neck behind him.

"And what's happened here?" Dr. Vladimir asked.

"He touched me," Declan replied. "And you know what happens to people who touch me."

Dr. Vladimir rubbed his dark beard and inspected the body. "Well, it's not the person you're supposed to kill," he said. "But it's nice to know you work properly."

Declan then looked at the screen. "Is that all from the tracking device?" He asked. "It doesn't look like I got the right family. I'm sorry."

"Oh, you have," Dr. Vladimir replied. "It's just that none of these people are the one you'll be targeting."

"Oh, yeah?" Declan turned. "And if it isn't wrong to ask, just who _am_ I targeting? I thought I was supposed to go after Regina!"

"You are," Dr. Vladimir nodded. "But she's just a stepping stone to your_ real_ target: her grandfather, Mikael Mikaelson."


	36. Redo Of Chapter 36

"I hope you don't think the pin is too extravagent," Declan said when he met Regina for coffee the next morning. "I just saw it and thought of you." He reached out to touch it and Regina felt tingles go through her body at this hint of contact from him. "Do you like it?"

"Of course I do!" Regina replied. "I took it to a family gathering to show to people and they just loved it!"

"Good," Declan replied. "You should show it to your grandfather."

"Why?" Regina asked. "Why should I show this to my grandfather?"

Declan shrugged. "I just thought he would be the sort of man who likes antiques, and that's what this is: an antique."

"Not to sound ungrateful," Regina said. "Cause this is a _really_ pretty pin and all, but what am I doing to deserve so many presents. I mean, we hardly know each other."

"Well, then why don't we go out to dinner?" Declan asked. "Are you free tonight?"

"Sure," Regina replied. "How about Antonio's at seven o'clock? Could you swing that?"

"I think I can," Declan nodded. Then he stood up. "I have to go. Enjoy your coffee and i'll see you at seven.

"Bye!" Regina called after him.

* * *

When Declan reached Doctor Vladimir's lab, he was expecting the worst. "Have I made a terrible mistake?" He asked. "I didn't mean to invite her to dinner. But I thought I was gonna lose her, so I panicked."

"Oh, it's not so bad as you think," Doctor Vladimir replied. "Perhaps it's about time I met this Regina anyway. I'll come with you and make sure that nothing goes wrong."

"All right, sir," Declan replied. "That's a big weight off my shoulders."

"Good," Doctor Vladimir replied. "Now, I want you to kill someone before dinner, just to make sure you're still working properly. Then, come and see me about a suit and we'll leave for this Antonio's restaurant."

"All right," Declan replied, leaving the lab. "I'll be ready."

* * *

"And just where are _you_ going?" Kol asked Regina. "Sneaking out again?"

"I'm sorry," Regina said. "I don't mean to cut our visit short, but I just remembered that I have a date."

"This is like the fourth time you've sneaked out on us when you've come over," Kol said. "Your mother and I are getting worried about you. Just to relieve our minds, I'm going to come too and see just who this date of yours is!"

"No," Regina groaned.

"Well, if you don't want me to come, then tell me the boy's name," Kol requested.

"Nope, sorry," Regina replied. "I can't do that either."

"You have to make a choice," Kol told her firmly. "Either you tell me the name of your date now, or I come with you to meet him. Either way, you're not leaving until I know who you're seeing."

"Fine," Regina sighed. "You can come. Just don't act too much like my dad, okay? If you do, I'll be really embarrassed."

* * *

The ride to the restaurant was full of squabbling between Regina and Kol until they entered the restaurant and approached the table where Declan and Doctor Vladimir were sitting. "It looks like Declan's father doesn't trust _him_ either," Regina said dryly. "The two of you will have a lot to talk about."

"Regina, do you know who that _is?" _ Kol asked, feeling stunned.

"It's Declan's father," Regina replied irritably. "Who else would it be?"

"My grandfather for one," Kol replied. "My mother's father. I haven't seen him in years. He visited a lot before Mother's affair that led to your uncle Nik. Of course, that was before I was born, so I mainly saw him when she took us to visit him without my father. He's always blamed Father for the affair, and as such, doesn't like him much. But he likes Niklaus a lot."

When they reached the table, Doctor Vladimir looked just as shocked as Kol.

"You probably don't remember me," Kol began. "But-"

"Kol!" Doctor Vladimir cried and gave him a hug right there in the restaurant. "It's been years. Way too long."

"It really has," Kol replied, sitting down. "What have you been doing with yourself?"

"I've been working on various projects," Doctor Vladimir replied evasively. "And Declan here is my adopted son. I picked him up in France several years ago as an infant. His parents were dead and had several people coming after him, so I changed his identity, which is why he's Irish now."

"And I can't even think what it would be like to be French," Declan added. "I like the way I am now."

Kol nodded and reached for Declan's hand, but Declan refused. "Sorry," he said. "I'm a bit germaphobic."

"It's all right," Kol replied. "I was never the touchy-feely sort myself. He paused and then looked at his grandfather. "And this is my daughter Regina," he said, indicating his daughter. "She's been really interested in Declan for awhile, but never told us a thing about him, so that's why I came tonight. We were worried. But now that I know you know him and I've met him, I'll just call my wife and tell her that everything is okay."

"Good," Doctor Vladimir replied. "And after you do that, we'll eat!"

* * *

"You wanna go out for breakfast?" King asked Vivi as he stood outside her room.

"Sure," Vivi replied. "Just let me get dressed. I can't go to lunch in my pajamas."

"Fine," King nodded. "I can wait. But it would be a lot easier if you came and slept in my room."

"I told you that after the first night, I wasn't gonna sleep with you anymore!" Vivi replied as she put some clothes on. "I don't want to run into any of your girlfriends!"

"There aren't any there now," King replied. "Would you like to check?"

"Yes I would!" Vivi nodded. "Then we'll go to one of those 'breakfast all day' places. Are there any like that around here?"

"Sure," King replied. "I'll take you to the one I go to a lot. After you check my room."

He then stood in the doorway with a grin on his face as Vivi checked every nook and cranny of his room to make sure he wasn't hiding any other women. He grinned to himself as he gloried in the good view he got of her butt, and when she turned around and saw him smiling at himself, she said, "What are _you_ smiling at?"

"Nothing," King shook his head. "Let's go. I'm hungry."

They reached the diner and sat down at what King said was his usual table, and a waitress in a tight uniform approached King, giving him a kiss. "Hello there!" She said. "What can I get for you today, King?"

"I'll have my usual," King replied. "And Vivi, what do you want?" He smiled at the waitress. "This is her first time here."

"Well," the waitress smiled. "I hope you like it enough that King brings you back!"

"We'll see," Vivi replied dryly. "I'll have a veggie omelete and some orange juice, please."

The waitress wrote the order down and scampered off. "Well, well," Vivi said to King. "Now I know why you like coming here so much. Do the waitresses kiss everyone they serve?"

"No, just me," King smiled. "And it's cause she thinks I'm handsome. And look at me: who could blame her?"

It was then, with a grunt, that Vivi brought her hands down on the table. "Why do you always do this?" She complained. "Why do you always have to talk about all your girlfriends and the women who like you around me? I hate it! Don't you care about my feelings at all?"

King realized that people were staring at them now and said, "I was only making a joke. You know how I do that. You wanna go? I guess I shouldn't have brought you here."

"Oh, let's stay," Vivi replied. "We've already ordered. No use wasting food. But you owe me later."

And it was as they were pulling out of the parking lot that Vivi said, "When we get home, you and I are gonna watch a movie."

"When you say 'home' you mean my house, right?" King asked. "And not yours? Cause Dad doesn't come back for a little while yet. You can stay."

"I did mean your house when I said 'home' because that's where I'm currently living," Vivi replied. "When we get home, we're gonna watch a movie of my choosing and eat popcorn."

King heard this and groaned. "It's not gonna be some stupid girly movie, is it?"

"Yes," Vivi chuckled. "Yes, it is."

Savannah had taken the miscarriage news a lot harder than Amy thought, so she spent a lot of time in her daughter's room while Savannah clutched a teddy bear, stared at the ceiling, and cried. "You are so lucky you got out of your engagement with Jonathan when you did," She told her mother. "I married him before I saw his true colors."

Amy sighed. "As anything I say about Jonathan will just upset you, I'll begin with this: Do you remember when your father killed me?"

"Yeah," Savannah nodded. "He thought Vivi was Robbie's and he lost his temper. It was lucky you had blood in your system at that point so you could come back."

"Yeah," Amy nodded. "It was."

"Can I ask why you came back from Europe with Vivi and got back together with Dad?" Savannah wondered. "I mean, you could have stayed away forever and not have worried about being hurt ever again."

"I know," Amy nodded. "But then I would have missed out on a lot of good stuff too: your father smiling at me, hugging me, standing at the sink without a towel on in the morning when he brushes his teeth..." She smiled. "I pretend to be shocked by it cause it makes him laugh, but really, it's...never mind, sorry," she said as Savannah looked horrified. "My point is, I know the risks of marrying your dad, but there are so many good things about being with him that the risks are worth it. Plus, I think it scarred him so much after he killed me that he'll never put me in danger like that again." She paused. "Do you love Jonathan?"

"Yeah, I do," Savannah nodded. "But I don't think he loves _me!_ If he did, he would have let me keep the baby instead of deciding to force a miscarriage on me. But I guess that's what I get for being married to a guy who still sees me as a child."

"Well, maybe this break will do you good," Amy said. "Maybe by the time it's all over, Jonathan will love you like you love him, and you'll be able to have a family."

"I hope so," Savannah replied, hugging her mother. "I really do."


	37. Lots Of Boy Trouble

Still feeling bitter and angry about Jonathan, Savannah found her way to Lenora and James' to have a little chat with her niece's husband.

"Say," she told James when he came into the kitchen to get a snack. "You know who Jonathan Putnam is, right?"

"Yeah," James nodded. "I know who he is. Wish I could say the same about you."

"Oh, I'm sorry," Savannah apologized and stuck out her hand. "Lenora's my niece."

"Oh!" James nodded. "You're one of those far flung relatives of hers, aren't you!" He shook her hand. "I came from a large Irish family meself. You'd think I'd be used to family members just popping in and out by now. Anyway, why are you asking me about Putnam?"

"He did something awful to me, and if I remember correctly, you're a lawman who arrests bad people, right?"

"Yes," James nodded. "What did Putnam do?"

"He made me miscarry," Savannah replied. "Can't you arrest him for murder or something?"

"How did he do it?" James asked. "Did he use magic?"

"No," Savannah shook her head. "He used vervain."

"Damn, he's clever!" James swore. "Since he didn't use magic, I have no say in this!"

"None at all?" Savannah asked, her lip jutting out. "You can't do a thing?"

"I'll think of something," James promised. "Believe you me, I'll think of something."

"Sorry I forgot to introduce you to Savannah," Lenora apologized after coming in from walking Rusty who was still very much alive. "You find something interesting to talk about?"

"Oh, yes," James nodded. "We did."

"Well, what is it?" Lenora asked, sitting down between Savannah and James. "Tell me. I wanna know."

"My husband screwed me over and now I want revenge," Savannah replied. "And I figure that your husband is just the person to help me with that."

"Well, what did he do to you?" Lenora asked. "Surely it can't be anything that bad."

"He poisoned me and made me miscarry our baby cause he was too afraid to have hybrid children!" Savannah replied. "So it _is_ that bad!"

"Well, that's terrible!" Lenora cried. "Who's your husband?"

"Putnam," James replied flatly. "But unfortunately, since he didn't use magic to bring on the miscarriage, I can't just arrest him."

"Not even since he technically committed murder?" Savannah asked hopefully.

"How pregnant were you when he made you miscarry?" James asked.

"Ten weeks, I think," Savannah replied.

"Sadly, you weren't far enough along for the embryo to be considered a person," James replied. "We have very specific rules about these things."

"Damn," Savannah replied. "So...so you can't do a thing?"

"Well, not legally, anyway," James sighed. "If only he'd used magic..."

"What about illegally?" Savannah asked.

"I know you're mad, but doing something like murdering Jonathan Putnam is not the best answer," Lenora replied.

"Why not?" Savannah asked. "My dad agrees with me!"

"Of course he does," Lenora sighed. "Look, there has to be some other way to deal with Jonathan than murdering him. Why don't you just talk to him and tell him how you feel?"

"Cause I don't want to," Savannah replied. "That's why. I can't even look at his stupid face."

"Well, all right," Lenora replied. "I thought talking to him would help, but obviously not."

"Thanks for your help," Savannah said to Lenora and James. "But I really don't think we're getting anywhere."

"Sorry we couldn't be more help," Lenora apologized.

"And remember, if Putnam actually _does_ do something I can arrest hm for, don't hesitate to let me know," James told her.

* * *

After leaving Lenora and James', Savannah came to a decision: if the law wasn't gonna get her vengeance, she'd have to get it herself. She zapped herself to Jonathan's and knocked on the door. When Jonathan opened it, his eyes lit up. "Oh, darling, come in!" He cried. "I've been trying to call you forever to tell you how sorry I am, but you won't answer the phone."

"Shouldn't that be a message to you?" Savannah asked coldly.

"Look," Jonathan told her. "I know you're mad at me, but you have no idea how much I've been hurting since you moved in with your father."

"Oh, shut up!" Savannah shouted. "Do _not_ take _my_ pain over a miscarriage _you_ caused and make it all about you! Cause it's not! It's about me, and the fact that I want to start a family but can't cause you're too chicken!"

"If you'll just give me a few years..." Jonathan began.

"'A few years'?" Savannah asked incredulously. "Say that I do that. What are you gonna tell me a few years from now? That you want a few _more_ years? I've had it. And now I'm gonna be as selfish and greedy as you. You took a life, and now I'm taking yours!" Then, she pounced on him, sinking her fangs into his neck. But she didn't kill him. Far from it. She just left him bleeding in the doorway after calling his mother to tell her that he had an accident, was hurt, and needed to go to the hospital.

* * *

"Hey Dad, you know French, right?" King asked his father.

"Of course," Mikael nodded. "Why?"

"Well, Vivi always mutters to herself in French when she's mad at me, cause she thinks I can't understand a word she says. I want to show her that I do."

"Well, you should with all those French lessons your mother made you take," Mikael scoffed. "That private tutor cost me an arm and a leg!"

"She's in the bathroom now, the one that's right next to us," King replied. "Let's have a conversation that she'll understand, all right?"

"Just how fluent is she?" Mikael asked.

"Very," King replied. "So just talk."

As Vivi headed out of the bathroom, she heard King say "_Nous parlons en français et Vivian ne suspecte rien du tout."_ Then he burst out laughing.

Mikael followed up with "_Je suis fier de toi mon fils. Tu es avec elle juste pour son "look" et non pas pour son intelligence."_

This made Vivi frown. She wanted to smack him. King's response was a little better, but not entirely: _"Elle peut être intelligente quand elle le veut, mais elle peut aussi être une vrai pierre dans ton soulier." _

"Oh, my god!" Vivi stormed up to them and smacked King. "Why didn't you tell me you could speak French? And if anyone _être une vrai pierre dans ton soulier_, it's VOUS!"

"Well I would never get to hear you call me handsome if I did that, right?" King winked. "And I _DID _say you were smart."

"That doesn't compensate for the fact that you made me feel like a moron," Vivi replied. "I think you owe me an apology!"

King gave his father a long look, then shook his head at Vivi. "I _never_ apologize," he said and strode away while Mikael gave her a smug look. She ran after King and trapped him in his room. "That's a lie!" She said. "You apologize to me all the time when your dad isn't here. It's only when he's around that you act like a big jerk."

"Well, you just don't understand cause you're a girl," King replied. "But my father has certain expectations of me, and if I get soft, I have to hear a lecture."

"Lectures are just words," Vivi replied. "They don't mean anything. Grow up!"

"If words don't mean anything, then why did you get so upset when I didn't apologize?" King asked. "'I'm sorry' are words too, you know."

Vivi sighed. "If you had to chose between being mean for your father and being nice for me, which one would you pick? Me or him?"

"Oh, don't make me do that!" King replied. "Let's just go to bed and whatever you're feeling will go away."

"No, it won't!" Vivi shook her head. "You can't just use sex to make what I'm feeling disappear! King, I love you and I wanna be with you, but I _won't_ play second fiddle to your father. And since you seem to have picked him, then I'll just let you have your way. When you finally find it in yourself to make the right decision, you know my number."

"What?" King asked. "You mean, you're really serious?"

"Yeah, I am," Vivi replied. "I need to be with someone who will put me first, and that someone is, at the moment, not you. Goodbye." She left, slammed the door, and King collapsed on his bed, trying to feel nonchalant about Vivi leaving, or see it in a good light. But he couldn't. Not at all.

* * *

"Do you feel better now that you've met Declan?" Regina asked her father.

"Yes, I do," Kol replied. "It was really a nice surprise."

"So the boy Regina is interested in knows your grandfather?" Regina asked. "I didn't even know you had any grandparents still living."

"Well, he's my mother's father, so he's a warlock, you know," Kol replied.

"I wanna meet him," Margot said. "Can we have him over sometime? And that Declan boy too?"

To her surprise, there was a knock at the door a second later, and soon Kol was ushering Doctor Vladimir and Declan into the house.

"You have a lovely home," Declan said as he looked around.

"Thank you," Regina replied. "Can I get either of you something?"

"No thanks," both their guests said at the same time.

"So, you must be Margot," Doctor Vladimir looked her over. "You're as beautiful as Kol said you were, and as charming as your daughter."

This compliment made Margot laugh. "Oh, go on!" She said.

"No, I mean it," Doctor Vladimir insisted.

"You know, it's the funniest thing," Margot smiled. "We were just talking about the two of you right before you showed up. How weird is that?"

"Very," Declan smiled. "What a strange coincidence."

"Am I correct in thinking you have some reservations about your daughter being interested in my son?" Doctor Vladimir asked Margot. "Cause I can address any concerns you might have."

"Before I knew that he was associated with you," Margot began, "I was just concerned about Regina dating a stranger, but now that I know that he's with you and that he's nice, you won't have to worry about me interfering."

"Well, that's very good to hear," Doctor Vladimir smiled. "A very good thing." Then he looked at Declan. "Isn't it son?"

"Yes," Declan nodded, thinking of all the doctor's plans for Regina that could now continue without fear of interruption from her parents. "It's a good thing indeed."


	38. Keep Your Head Up High

"You're crying too?" Klaus asked when he went to check on Vivi since she wasn't downstairs by her usual time to go to school. "What is happening with everyone?"

Vivi coughed. "I don't think I want to go to school today. Would you tell the people at school that I'm too sick to be in class?"

"Why?" Klaus asked. "What happened?"

"I broke up with King," Vivi replied. "Cause he's a big jerk!"

Klaus took Vivi in his arms and said, "He held out a lot longer than I thought he would, but I knew that sooner or later he would hurt you. It's gonna be okay, though. Maybe you, your sister, and I could do something."

"Like hunting?" Vivi asked brightly. "I'm old enough now, right?"

"Maybe," Klaus replied. "Let me think about it." He then let her go and said, "I have to leave the house for a bit. Can I get you anything before I go?"

"No, I'm good," Vivi replied. "Just as long as you remember to call school and tell them I'm not coming."

Klaus nodded and went downstairs where Amy was slathering jam on a piece of toast. "What's keeping Vivi?" She asked. "Did you tell her to come downstairs _now, _or she'll be late for class?"

"She says she wants to skip it today," Klaus replied.

"And why is that?" Amy asked, taking a bite of toast.

"That King boy and Vivi split up," Klaus replied, his hands balling into fists. "I _knew_ that this would happen sooner or later."

"Sad as it may be, it's no excuse for her to skip school," Amy replied, and went upstairs to urge her daughter to get ready.

"But Mom, I don't _feel_ good!" Vivi complained. "Can't I stay home?"

"No," Amy said firmly. "You'll go to school just like every other day. I know break ups are painful, but you're a big girl, and you can handle it."

"Fine," Vivi rolled her eyes and zapped some clothes on. "Dad was gonna let me take the day off, you know."

"Well, your father was wrong," Amy replied. "And he had the good sense to tell me about so I could head it off at the pass!"

"What am I gonna tell King when I see him today?" Vivi asked. "You have no idea how painful it is to have to deal with someone after you break up with them!"

"I do," Amy replied. "And as he is now married to your sister, it is doubly strange, but if I can deal with it, so can you. Now you go to school with your head held high, your dignity intact, and a solemn vow to not let one boy run your life."

"Okay," Vivi nodded, taking a deep breath. "I think I can do that!"

* * *

Uncertain about whether King would be willing to pick her up now that she'd broken up with him, Vivi zapped herself to school instead when Amy wasn't looking. She was getting books out of her locker when she heard someone clear his throat. She turned and saw King glaring at her.

"May I help you?" She asked.

"Where were you earlier?" King asked. "I came to pick you up and I sat waiting for a long time. Your neighbors came really close to calling the cops on me!"

"Oh, I zapped myself to school today," Vivi replied, grabbing an armload of books and heading in the direction of her first class while he followed. "I didn't want you to have to feel obligated to squire me around since I broke up with you."

"Will you not shout that last part so loud?" King asked. "I don't want anyone to know what happened between us!"

"Oh, come on!" Vivi chuckled. "Is your ego really so fragile that you can't stand to have people know that a girl broke up with you?"

"Yes, it is!" King replied irritably. "You should know that by now."

"Well, let that be a lesson to you for the future," Vivi replied. "You don't have to bother to pick me up now, cause I can take myself anywhere I please. I was only letting you do it as a courtesy."

"Oh, bullshit!" King replied and turned her around to face him. "That's a lie and you know it."

"No, it's not!" Vivi replied. "Now, let me get to class, please!"

"Fine," King replied. "But before you go-" He kissed her deep and then let her go and spanked her butt as she wiped her mouth and gave him a dirty look.

"You have problems!" She told him as he headed on his own way. "And you need to find someone to give you serious help!"

* * *

King made it clear throughout the rest of the day that he wasn't handling the breakup as well as she wished he would. At lunch, he sat at a table with another girl clearly in Vivi's line of vision, then made a big show of making out with her and then looking to see what Vivi's reaction was.

Vivi didn't look at him at all, but kept her eyes on her lunch, not looking up until she heard a voice beside her. "Is that little show for you?"

Vivi turned toward the voice and noticed a girl from her class with dark hair and glasses standing next to the table with her lunch tray.

"Yeah, it's for me," Vivi nodded. "Have a seat, if you want."

"Thanks," the girl replied. "I'm Jane, by the way."

"Vivi," Vivi replied.

Jane nodded. "So what's going on with you and the king?"

"We broke up and he's sore about it," Vivi replied. "That's what's going on. He has this dedication to his father that makes him act like a real jerk, and I finally decided I wasn't gonna put up with it anymore."

"Good for you," Jane replied.

"Thanks," Vivi told her. "Want some of my fries?"

"Sure," Jane replied, taking a couple off Vivi's tray as they both continued to ignore King while he made a complete ass of himself. "Don't mind if I do!"

* * *

"Thanks for helping me take my mind off what happened," Savannah told Helene as they walked into the daycare center where she worked. "Otherwise, I probably would have sulked all day and I'm trying not to do that."

"It's really not a problem," Helene replied. "I mean, I've been where you've been sort of, so I figured I could help you out a little."

Savannah smiled as a bunch of small children came running toward them yelling, "Miss Helene! Miss Helene!"

"Hi everyone!" Helene greeted them, hugging as many as she could. "This is Savannah. She's gonna be a new friend for you all today, all right? You need anything, you can ask her."

Savannah sat in the corner, watching the kids play, not expecting anyone to come up to her cause they didn't know her, and seemed content as they were, but then a little girl, around two years old with wild red hair partially tamed by a hair clip and big brown eyes came toward her on unsteady legs before falling into her lap.

"Hi, there sweetie!" Savannah said to her. "Are you okay?"

The little girl said nothing, but reached out to touch Savannah's hair, giving it a slight pull, and stroking it gently with her fingers.

"It's red just like yours," Savannah told her. "And very pretty." She waited for the little girl to get bored and go find something else to do, but she stayed instead, clinging tight to Savannah.

"Okay," Savannah said at last, picking the little girl up and carrying her to where some dolls were. "How about we play with these now?"

The little girl picked up a blonde doll and began pulling at its hair, making a noise of frustration. Savannah then noticed that all the dolls had either blonde hair or brown, and so she took one and, making sure no one was looking, gave it red hair for the time being. The little girl then took the doll and hugged it close to herself, jealously guarding it when some other little girls came to play with the dolls too.

"Well, well, well," Helene said as she came out of her office around lunch time. "Looks like you're doing some good already, Savannah."

"I am?" Savannah asked. "How?"

Helene indicated the little redhead. "This is Mary. Her mother has brought her here for the last two weeks and she wouldn't warm up to anyone. But she seems to like _you_." She paused. "Do you think I could bring you back here again tomorrow?"

"Sure," Vivi replied. "I'd be glad to come."

"Good," Helene replied. "Now I'm gonna let you continue what you were doing while I go check on some of the other kids."

"All right," Savannah replied as Mary handed her the redheaded doll. "I'll be here if you need me."

* * *

"That was so weird about my dad and yours," Regina told Declan. "But it was really handy. Since they trust your dad, they won't interfere with us anymore."

"Yes," Declan grinned. "That's very good. Cause I have such plans for us, you know."

"You do?" Regina asked. "What sort of plans?"

"Nothing you need to know about yet," Declan replied, reaching out to stroke her hair. (He could do that safely; it was touching skin that was a problem.) "But you'll know when it's time."

"Well," Regina smiled at him. "I can't wait to see what you have in mind."

Declan smiled. "And I can't wait to show you."

"I hope I won't have to wait too long," Regina replied with a smile. But when Declan headed back to see Doctor Vladimir, he was met with some troubling news.

"I worry about you," the good doctor told him. "I think you and Regina are getting too close. And we can't have that."

"So what?" Declan asked.

"So, you won't be seeing her again until I say the time is right," Doctor Vladimir told him firmly.

"You mean I just have to leave her like that?" Declan asked, feeling shocked. "Without so much as a 'goodbye'?"

"Yes," Doctor Vladimir nodded. "And you're only proving my point with these disgusting displays of sentimentality. Now, go kill someone (or multiple people would probably be better.) Remember your purpose, Declan."

"Yes, sir," Declan replied, and went out to kill the first person he could find while, over the next few days, a brokenhearted Regina waited for a word from him and heard nothing.


	39. Just A Little Bit Better

"Okay," Mikael said as he and Regina took a seat in Gregory's living room. "Talk to me. What explanation can you possibly give for your behavior?"

"How in the world did you find me?" Gregory asked in surprise. "There are probably millions of people committing terrible acts right now, and yet you choose to pick on _me_? Why?"

"Well, first of all," Mikael replied, "how I found you is my own personal business. It would be useless to me if I revealed my process cause word would get around and you understand why I can't have that. Second, what kind of a leader would I be if I didn't punish the people closest to when they did wrong along with the people I've never met before?"

"A normal one?" Gregory asked.

Regina tried not to laugh at this. "He has a point, Grandpa," she said at last.

"Even so," Mikael replied, "could you at least tell me _why_ you're doing this?"

"I don't think you'd like what I have to say," Gregory replied. "Dying would be much more preferable."

Mikael thought a moment. "You didn't do all of this because of a woman, did you?"

"Well, so what if I did?" Gregory shot back. "What business is it of yours?"

"Oh, god," Mikael ran his fingers through his hair. "You're becoming as heedless as your mother. I thought that since you were more like your father, I'd not have to deal with that, but then again, your father has moments where he gives in to unreasonable sentimentality as well, so I should have seen it coming."

"So how long do I have?" Gregory asked, his voice shaking. "Do I at least have time to say goodbye?"

"How long do you have until what?" Regina asked.

"Well, until I'm killed," Gregory replied. He eyed his grandfather. "Isn't that what normally happens when you pounce on people like this?"

"Well, yes," Mikael replied. "But most of the people I deal with are fools or idiots who are incapable of righting their behavior. You, on the other hand, can learn. At least I hope you can."

"Yeah," Gregory nodded. "I can. I'll be more careful in the future."

"Good," Mikael replied. "I don't want to hear of you ever making a fool out of yourself because of a woman ever again. Do you understand?"

"Yes, sir," Gregory nodded.

"Good," Mikael nodded. "Regina, let's go. We have more pressing matters to attend to than this."

"All right," Regina replied and got up to follow him, feeling a little stunned. She turned at the door and said goodbye to Gregory before they went to their next victim, and Regina wondered what Gwen would say when she heard how Mikael had softened and let Gregory go.

* * *

After a long day with her grandfather, all Regina wanted to do was curl up in bed and try not to think about fire, or murder or anything like that. She'd never _seen_ her grandfather have such a hard time dealing with anyone he felt he had to kill as much as he had with Gregory. As they'd driven back to his house after going through their list of perpetrators, Mikael had expressed doubt about Gregory's sincerity, but that they'd have to wait and see what happened.

Just as she'd settle down to sleep in her own room, she dreamed she heard a rustle. She then saw a shape in the corner of her room. Before she could open her mouth to scream, a gloved hand stroked her brow and then her hair. "I know I said I had to leave, Regina," said Declan's quiet voice. "And the doctor would be furious if he knew I was here. But I just couldn't leave without saying goodbye."

Regina was breathing hard now, wondering when she would wake up from this dream. "Do you really have to leave?" She asked.

"Yes," Declan replied and gave her a light kiss on the cheek. "Goodbye, Regina. Sleep well."

He then stole away from the house, glad Regina had stayed asleep during his visit, removed his gloves, shut his eyes, took a deep breath, and broke the necks of two people who made the mistake of running into him on the sidewalk before heading back to Doctor Vladimir's and hoping that he wouldn't have to explain where he'd been.

* * *

"What's the matter with you?" Kol asked Regina when she called the next morning. "You seem much less perky than you've been lately."

"Declan had to leave," Regina replied. "I mean, I thought I dreamed it, but it felt real too. I don't know when I'm gonna see him again."

"I'm sorry," Kol replied. "Maybe I should let your mother talk to you, cause I'm not so sure I'll be able to be as sympathetic as you want me to."

"But you met Declan!" Regina cried. "I thought you liked him!"

"Well, he wasn't as bad as I thought he was gonna be, that's for sure," Kol replied, before going to find Margot and tell her what was going on before handing her the phone.

"Honey, I'm sorry Declan's left," Margot told her. "But I'm sure you'll find another boy."

"But I can't _do_ that, Mom!" Regina cried. "Declan said he'd come back, eventually."

"So you're just gonna put your life on hold in case he may come back?" Margot cried. "Honey, what about _you_? You have the right to live your life, and I'm sure he'll understand."

"But what if he doesn't?" Regina cried. "Mom, I really liked him!"

"If he doesn't understand you moving on with your life when he chose to move on with his, then he doesn't deserve you," Margot replied. "I mean, don't get me wrong. You're an adult and you can do whatever you want with your life, but I just...I think you'll really be missing out if you put yourself on the shelf for just one guy, especially when he's only allegedly coming back."

"All right, Mom," Regina sighed. "Thank you."

"You're welcome, sweetie," Margot replied. "I know it's hard to hear, but...good luck."

"Thanks, Mom," Regina replied and hung up. Then the doorbell rang and Regina opened it to see her doorman standing on the other side. "What's up?" She asked him. Then, she noticed he was holding onto a box. "This came for you," he said. "A young man delivered it. I thought I'd bring it up."

"Well, thanks," Regina replied as he put it on the chair. He then left and she cut open the box with some scissors. pulling out what looked like a small hand mirror from under all the packing peanuts. Then, she gasped as Declan's face appeared in it. "Oh, my god!" She cried. "I should have known this would be from you! What the hell is it?"

"Just a way for us to talk," Declan replied. "Not all the time, of course, but sometimes."

Regina smiled. "I suppose that's better than nothing, I guess. Thank you for this other present."

Declan smiled. "Well, I know how you hate getting presents from me," he said. "But due to our sudden separation, I was sure you wouldn't object to one more." He paused as there was a sound on his end. "I gotta go," he said quickly. Goodbye, love."

The mirror then went blank and Regina put it down. Now that she had a way to talk to Declan, she began to wonder if her mother was right. He was off doing his own thing, and it made no sense for her to just stand by and do nothing in the mean time. She knew she'd never like any boy as much as she liked Declan, but that didn't mean she couldn't at least try to have a little fun. Surely there were men out there who'd be willing to keep her occupied for the time being. Plus, if she never got serious about anyone else, she wouldn't have to worry about bringing them home to her parents' to face her father's endless interrogations. She smiled, a decision reached. If anything made her new dating situation _more_ attractive, it was that.

* * *

"You know, I would have _loved_ to see your face when it was your own grandson you were going after," Gwen said. "Were you as harsh to him as you were to King?"

"With King it was different," Mikael replied tersely. "I was trying to prove a point that being reckless will get you killed. He was young. He needed to learn that. Gregory is much older, and I'm very sure he knows what the consequences of his actions will lead to."

"So what stirred him up?" Gwen asked. "A girl?"

Mikael nodded. "His wife left him."

"Stupid women," King said as he came into the house and left his shoes by the doorway. "You want them to feel something for you and all they do is ignore you."

"Well, I have to ask myself why Vivi isn't just falling into your arms with that attitude you have," Gwen said sarcastically.

"It's not funny, Mom," King replied with narrowed eyes.

"I didn't say it was," Gwen told him. "I just...wondered why it took that girl this long to come to her senses and leave you."

"Oh, my god!" King cried irritably. "Whose side are you on anyway? Why don't you support _me_ for a change?"

"When you stop making idiotic decisions, I will support you," Gwen replied. "Until then, I won't."

"But seriously, I have done _nothing _to deserve being dumped like that," King said. "I have been an _excellent_ boyfriend."

"Clearly that isn't true or you wouldn't have been dumped," Gwen replied. "Now go do your homework."

King scowled at her and stomped up to his room to do his homework while trying not to think of what Vivi was doing at that very moment.

* * *

"Of all the guys in school, how did you end up with King Mikaelson, anyway?" Jane asked Vivi as they sat at in a bookstore drinking coffee.

"It's not something I'm proud of," Vivi replied. "I mean, he can be nice when he wants to be, but sometimes, he can be a real jerk. Like, he has this thing with his dad, and that thing was what made me dump him. His dad has expectations for him, and apparently, being nice to me goes against them." She sighed. "I'm not sorry."

"And what was that stupid display he put on the other day, trying to make you jealous?" Jane asked. "Does he do that often?"

"Well, not a lot, but only because he hasn't had the time," Vivi replied dryly. "He has to be _numero uno_ for everyone, and if he's not, he throws a fit."

"You wanna try and make _him_ jealous?" Jane asked, a glint in her eye. "How much do you think it would piss him off if he thought you and I were dating?"

"Oh, I wouldn't ask you to do that!" Vivi replied. "I mean, the look on his face would be hysterical, but-"

"I'm in between girlfriends at the moment," Jane winked. "Let's do it. It won't bother me."

"Well, all right," Vivi replied. "If it's all right with you, I see no reason not to."

"Of course!" Jane replied. "You're too pretty not to have a guy throw a fit over you at least once."

Vivi smiled. "Well, aren't you sweet?" She said. "_That's_ the kind of appreciation I need from King. Maybe dating would be easier if I was a lesbian."

"It's not, really," Jane replied. "It's just as annoying to go after a clueless girl."

"Oh," Vivi nodded. "Good to know."

They finished their coffees and Jane said, "What do you want to do now?"

"I don't know," Vivi shrugged. "You pick. Surprise me."

"All right," Jane replied. "Let's go!"


	40. Being Set Up

"I was really surprised when you called me last night and asked me to come pick you up for school," King said as he drove with one hand on the wheel and the other reaching toward Vivi's thigh. "It's been awhile since we've done that."

"I know," Vivi replied. "And move your damn hand or I'll break all your fingers. How many times have I told you that?"

"Well, that's not nice," King replied. "I thought this ride was a sign of reconciliation."

"Can't I just ask you a favor without you expecting something in return?" Vivi asked. "Or is that concept completely foreign to you?"

"Well, I'm sorry my wanting to be with you is something you find irritating," King replied, starting to be irritated himself. "I'll keep to myself in the future."

"Good," Vivi replied. "It's better that way."

They were both silent on the way to school and then King drove up to the front of the school to let Vivi out. And just when she did, he noticed the girl she'd been sitting with lately come up and give her a big kiss. What in the hell was going on? He got out of the car and strode up to them. "Hey," he said. "What's going on here?"

"I was just saying 'Hello' to my friend Jane," Vivi said. "Nothing wrong with that, is there?"

"Of course not," King replied. "But as I recall, you used to say 'Hello' to me that way too!"

"Well, what can I say?" Vivi replied sarcastically. "I guess I found our break up so painful that you have literally ruined me for other men...so I had to seek out other candidates."

"Well," King smirked. "I'm sorry about that."

"You don't have to be," Vivi replied. "I'm much happier this way. But you understand, of course, that this means you and I can never get back together again?"

"What?" King cried. "Are you sure?"

"Yep," Vivi nodded. "I mean, I might find you aesthetically pleasing, as would anyone, but yeah...I just can't be physically attracted to you anymore."

"Are you sure?" King asked. "There has to be some way around this!"

"There's just not," Vivi touched his shoulder. "But I'm sure one of the _many _girls you've been using in a fruitless attempt to make me jealous would be more than happy to take my place." She then kissed him on the cheek. "Goodbye, King." Then she and Jane took each other's hands and strode off to the school, leaving King staring at them with his jaw dropped.

When they got a safe distance away, they both burst into laughter. "That was brilliant!" Jane cried. "I've never seen a guy look so sad before!"

_"Did_ he look bummed?" Vivi asked. "Really?"

"Yeah," Jane replied, pushing her glasses up her nose. "Looks like it to me!"

"So do you wanna keep going with this?" Vivi asked. "I mean, we can stop if you want to."

"I think this charade of ours can stand to go on a little longer," Jane replied. "You think we'll be able to make King cry?"

"I doubt it," Vivi replied. "But it wouldn't hurt to try."

* * *

Despite the charade, it was apparent that King wasn't entirely deterred. When Vivi came out of the bathroom, he came upon her in the hallway, grabbed her, and kissed her.

"What the hell was that?" Vivi asked, pushing him away.

"I was just checking something," King replied.

"Checking something?" Vivi asked, eyebrow raised. "You mean you were checking to see if your magnificent magnetism could get me back to liking boys?"

"Well, yeah!" King replied. "I mean, there are exceptions, right? Can't you like both me _and_ Jane at the same time?"

"Maybe I could," Vivi replied, leading to a light in King's eyes. "If you weren't such a clueless dork. You can kiss me all you want, but it's not gonna change anything!"

"Tell the truth," King told her. "This isn't you suddenly being interested in women. This is just revenge to get me back for paying more attention to my father than you, isn't it?"

"Even if it is, that still doesn't mean I'm going back to you," Vivi replied. "I do want I want and you're gonna have to watch for as long as it takes." She kissed him then. "Goodbye, King."

"_Touche_, Miss Vivi," King smiled as he watched her retreating back. "And _en garde_."

* * *

"Did you and Vivi patch things up when you drove her to class today?" Gwen asked King when he walked through the door. His parents were playing poker and his father was trying to cheat.

"No," King replied. "But I think we're heading in that direction. She's so desperate to prove she's immune to my charms that she tried to convince me that she was a lesbian. I didn't fall for it, of course."

"You mean to say you've been carelessly tossed aside by that stupid girl for another _girl_?" Mikael asked. "Don't tell me you're just gonna stand there and take it!"

King shrugged. "It doesn't bother me too much. I mean, have you _seen_ two girls kiss, Dad? It's _hot!"_

"Royal flush!" Gwen smiled and put down her cards opposite Mikael's full house. "Looks like I win the pot again! You wanna stop playing before I take you for everything you've got?"

"You're not subtle," Mikael replied. "The odds are slim to none that you'd have a royal flush every time. Is someone using their magic to change their cards and beat me?"

"Oh, don't even try to chide me," Gwen replied. "You'd do the same if we were playing strip poker and you know it!"

Mikael's eyebrow rose and he grabbed her. "Now that," he said into her neck and then nibbling on her earlobe, "is a _very_ good idea! Especially after all I've gone through with Gregory lately." He then grabbed Gwen's hand and they ran off to their room with a deck of cards before King even had time to express his disgust at his parents' behavior, not to mention the fact that they were getting some and he wasn't.

* * *

"Sorry about Declan," Liam told Regina when he met her on his lunch break. "I know you really liked him."

"I know you're not _that_ sorry," Regina replied. "But thanks for saying it anyway."

"It might be too early to ask this," Liam continued. "But since I'm single and you're single, you wanna go out and look for dates sometime?"

"Seriously?" Regina asked. "Like, go to a bar and pick someone up? You and me?"

"Yeah, why not?" Liam shrugged. "It could be fun. Or, we could set each other up."

"I'm not looking for anything serious," Regina replied. "Declan and I are just on a break. We aren't permanently broken up."

"Are you sure?" Liam asked. "He better not be stringing you along."

"He's not!" Regina said earnestly. "He's just not allowed to see me in person, that's all."

Liam sighed. "Here we go again," he muttered under his breath.

* * *

"Are you sure the best way for us to get dates is at a bar?" Regina asked Liam as she followed him into the building. "Cause after Declan, I sort of have high standards."

"This isn't just a _bar_, " Liam told her patiently. "Lots of my co-works from the council come here after work, both men _and_ women. There is a good chance I will pick out someone excellent for you."

"Well, is it really fair that I'm picking from a dating pool where you already know all the options?" Regina asked, smoothing the skirt of her red dress. "I can just see you rejecting everyone I pick because you know stuff and I don't."

"I won't reject who you pick if you don't reject who I pick because they aren't as good as Prince Declan," Liam replied. "Even if I know them. Deal?"

"All right," Regina replied. "Deal." She positioned herself at the bar and watched Liam traverse the room while keeping an eye out on who she'd pick for him.

"Anyone sitting here?" Asked a leggy brunette, pointing at the seat next to Regina.

"Oh, no!" Regina replied. "Go ahead and sit."

"Thanks," the woman replied. "I really need a drink. I've been trying to find someone to go out with all night, but I've not found anyone."

"Well, I have this friend who might be good for you," Regina replied. "What do you do?"

"I model," the woman replied. "And I'd really like to be with just a normal guy."

"You mean, you don't work at the Council?" Regina asked.

"No," the woman shook her head. "My last boyfriend did, though."

"Oh, you probably wouldn't be interested in Liam, then," Regina replied and pointed in his direction. He was coming toward them, a grin on his face.

"I don't know," the woman replied. "He's kinda cute. I've always liked blonds."

"Liam, this is, um,-" Regina stalled.

"Shelly," the woman interjected, sticking her hand out to shake Liam's. "How do you do?"

"Great," Liam replied.

"She's a model," Regina whispered in his ear. "And you're welcome."

Figuring that Liam would now be too occupied to bother looking for a date for her, she made an effort to try and find a date for herself, working to keep all thoughts of Declan out of her mind.

"Well, well, well," she heard a voice and turned around to see a very attractive man with dark eyes and an English accent smiling at her. "You here alone?"

"Yes," Regina replied, looking him over. "But I don't plan to be for very long."

"Is that so?" The man asked. "Cause I would love to bring you home."

"I don't go home with a man unless he buys me dinner and talks to me first," Regina smiled. "You willing?"

"Of course," he said. "I'm Victor Murray."

"Regina Mikaelson," Regina replied. "Any good Italian places near here?"

"I think I know just the one," Victor replied, holding out his arm. Regina put her hand in the crook of it and said, "wonderful. Let's go." She headed out without saying goodbye to Liam, who probably wouldn't notice she was gone anyway.


	41. A Step In The Right Direction

"You seem to be coping much better with Jonathan's departure," Amy observed. "I know it was hard, Savannah, but I'm so proud of you."

"Well, you can thank Helene for that," Savannah replied from the other end of the phone line. "She's invited me to help at the daycare center where she works and there's this little redhead named Mary there. She can't be more than two, and ever since I've come, she just clings to me. Probably because I'm the one who reminds her most of her mother or something. And it's kind of helped with the whole 'losing the baby' thing. And did you read in the paper that they're looking for applicants for the regeneration ceremony? You should totally send in an application."

"Oh, no, I couldn't!" Amy replied. "It just wouldn't be right!"

"Why not?" Savannah asked. "The regeneration ceremony is done to help people who have lost their powers get them back, and you fit that description."

"I know Astrid," Amy said. "How fair is it that I use my connection to her just to cheat some other person who's probably more deserving than I am? Only five people a year get to do the ceremony."

"You talk to Astrid," Savannah said firmly. "Or I will. If anyone deserves to get their life back, it's you."

"All right," Amy replied. "I will. But I wonder how your father will take it if I get in?"

"He'll be happy for you," Savannah assured her. "I mean, how could he not be?"

"I hope you're right," Amy told her. "I mean, _really."_

* * *

That night, she headed over to Alistair and Astrid's, and as she and Astrid sat in the kitchen, Amy said, "I have a question for you."

"You do?" Astrid asked. "What is it?"

Amy sighed. "I know that Regeneration Day is usually for criminals as a reward for good behavior and that very few people outside the jail get chosen for the ceremony, but...I was thinking of putting my name in the ring this year."

"You were?" Astrid asked. "Really?"

"You don't seem so surprised by this," Amy said.

"Well, of course not!" Astrid replied. "I wondered when you were going to send in an application. I was expecting you to do it right after your murder. I was confused about why you waited so long."

Amy sighed. "Well, I was doing all right without my powers. I was managing, so I didn't feel I _needed_ to have them back. Then, I had them when Vivi and I were in Paris, and it made me realize how much I missed them, so...yeah. Now I want them back. And I'll be sure to fill out an application like everyone else so that if I'm chosen, no one can say it wasn't on the up and up."

Astrid smiled and took her hand. "I understand how you might feel that if you get chosen, people might think it's because you know me. But your situation is different from the usual person who gets their powers back in the regeneration ceremony. They usually are criminals who have used their powers in terrible ways which has gotten them punished and they get them back only after good behavior in jail proves that they can use magic properly again. You've _always_ used your powers well, and you lost them not due to ill use on your part, but Klaus' jealousy. You should get your powers back. You deserve to be how you were before your murder."

"Can you do that?" Amy asked. "Would it be illegal? Would I get in trouble?"

"No, you wouldn't get in trouble," Astrid replied. "Not if you have my permission. And some things are only outlawed because they're so complicated for a normal witch or warlock to do that we'd have a heck of a time cleaning up the mess. That's why only the council can do what on you would basically amount to bringing someone back to life. Cause we have people who are specifically trained, and thus can manage the process better than your average person."

"Well, all right," Amy replied. "I just wanted to make sure."

"When do you want to have this done?" Astrid asked.

"Don't I have to wait until the regeneration ceremony?" Amy asked.

"I don't see why you have to wait even that long," Astrid replied. "Unless you want to, of course."

"No," Amy shook her head. "I don't see any reason to, if we can get it done quicker."

Astrid nodded and then called in her assistant. "What does my schedule look like for tomorrow?" She asked. "Can I spare an hour or so?"

"Well, your schedule is a bit tight," her assistant replied. "But there's always your lunch hour."

"Oh, don't give up your lunch hour!" Amy cried. "I couldn't let you do that!"

"I'll eat early," Astrid said firmly. "It's not like anyone can scold me for doing so. Eating a sandwich during a meeting is not tantamount to neglecting the government. Will I be seeing you at noon tomorrow?"

"Yes," Amy nodded. "You will. And thank you, Astrid. So much."

"You're welcome," Astrid replied and pushed a lock of blonde hair out of her eyes. "See you then, Amy."

* * *

"So did you do it?" Savannah asked her mother that night. "Did you talk to Astrid?"

"I did," Amy replied. "And it turns out that given the circumstances under which I lost my powers, I don't even have to apply for the regeneration ceremony or anything. All I had to do was ask Astrid to change me back. I could have done that _years_ ago!"

"I figured as much," Savannah replied. "But I didn't want to say anything."

"You're too kind," Amy replied sarcastically. "I haven't told your father yet. I will eventually. I just don't want a repeat of what happened with Vivi. You know how your father can so easily misconstrue things."

"Yeah, I do," Savannah nodded. "Well, good luck tomorrow."

"Thanks," Amy replied. "I hope it goes all right. Anything interesting happen at the daycare center today?"

"Yes," Savannah nodded. "I had a talk with Mary's mother today when she came to pick her up, and she asked me if I would mind being Mary's babysitter at home, since she seems to have so much trouble bonding with the other kids at daycare."

"Are you gonna take her up on the offer?" Amy asked. "I think you should. And I know you might not be open to the idea...but maybe you should tell Jonathan."

"Why should I do that?" Savannah asked.

"Well, Mary is human, right?" Amy asked.

"Yeah, as far as I know," Savannah replied.

"Well, if you start Jonathan off with a human child, someone he knows won't explode at any given moment or whatever, it might help ease him into the idea of parenthood. And that's what you want, right?" Amy asked.

"Yeah," Savannah nodded. "I do. And since I would probably be watching Mary at the house where Jonathan is, since I don't want to inconvenience you and Daddy, I'll have to explain her presence somehow."

"I hope it works out for you," Amy told her.

"You too," Savannah replied. "And good luck tomorrow. If you need me to talk to Daddy, just let me know."

"All right," Amy replied. "Thanks. Good luck to you too."

"You're welcome," Savannah replied. "'Night, Mom."

"'Night," Amy replied, then hung up and went to join Klaus in bed, wanting so badly to tell him about their being able to have children again, but keeping it quiet cause she couldn't risk another bad reaction.

* * *

As Vivi made her way out of the art wing during school the next day, she suddenly found herself standing in stairwell where she and King made out when she could pull herself away from class. She was disoriented for a second, and then when she saw King, it all became clear. "I'm gonna go," she said, turning to leave.

"Wait a minute," King replied getting down on his knees in front of her. "I'm sorry for what happened with my father. I'll try harder from now on. Will you stay with me, at least for a little bit? Please, please, please?"

Vivi looked at him in disgust. "Oh, don't you beg. I _hate_ a guy who begs. It's disgusting!" She took a few more steps, then King grabbed her, kissed her deep, and zapped them both to his bedroom. When Vivi looked down at herself, she was naked, and the floor felt cold under her bare feet.

"How's that for not begging?" King asked. He was just as naked as she was, and she gasped as he took her from behind, his arms around her middle, while nipping at her neck.

"Better," Vivi admitted. "_Much _better."

His hands, slid up her torso and cupped her breasts, giving them a squeeze. "You're perfect, you know that?" King whispered. "Absolutely perfect."

"Of course I am," Vivi replied. "You wouldn't accept anything less, would you?"

"You have a point," King nodded, pulling out of her, turning her around to face him, and kissing her again.

"We really should be getting back to school, you know," Vivi said.

"Why, so you can just ignore me and flaunt the fact that you hate me in my face?" King asked.

"I don't hate you," Vivi said patiently. "I just wish that you could look your father in the eye and pick me over him without caring about getting a lecture. I don't think that's an unreasonable thing to want." She began looking around the room. "Now, where the hell are my clothes?"

Realizing that he wasn't going to get any farther at that moment, he reluctantly zapped Vivi's clothes up as well as his own, and they both dressed before heading back to school.

Vivi looked at the clock and headed to her locker to get her books, but not before she asked King, "Would you mind driving me home from school today?"

"Sure," King smiled and took hold of her hand for a few seconds before letting it go. "I would love to."

"All right," Vivi replied. "See you then."

* * *

"Okay," Victor told Regina after their latest evening together. "You want me to come back tonight?"

"Oh, not if you're busy," Regina told him. "Remember, this is a completely no strings attached thing. You can come and go as you please. I'm not gonna push it."

Victor smiled. "You're a real doll, you know that?" He told her. "See ya tonight."

Regina told him goodbye and then began slowly dressing for the day, completely unaware that she was being watched by Declan, who had a mirror of his own just like he'd given her, and had lately been prone to looking at it all hours of the day while doing his best not to be caught by Doctor Vladimir. He was so into the sight of Regina undressing that he didn't notice the closet door open and the mirror being snatched out of his hands.

"I didn't want to have to do it to you," Doctor Vladimir replied. "I thought the original work we did on you would be enough to focus you on our mission. But now it appears you have a distraction far more powerful than even me, and that I have no choice but to make you forget about her."

"No, Doctor!" Declan cried. "Don't!"

Doctor Vladimir hoisted him to his feet, and, ignoring his protestations, dragged him back to the reprogramming room, the mirror falling from his hands and shattering, and Regina letting out a shriek as her hand mirror (which could also be used normally) cracked in her hand and she saw Declan, looking very frightened and shouting her name as the mirror tumbled to the floor: "Regina, help me! Help me, please!" But the image was fleeting and when it was gone, she got down on her knees to pick up the broken mirror before admitting to herself that whatever Declan needed, she was in no place to help him, and the best thing to do was to put the mirror away and forget about it.


	42. Taking Another Chance

"Okay, Mary," Savannah said seriously to the little red-headed girl who was looking out the window of the backseat of her car. "I'm gonna introduce you to someone special. He hasn't been around the last times I've been watching you, but he's coming today. He's a nice man, so you don't have to be scared, all right?" She parked in the garage and brought Mary inside, carrying her to a stunned Jonathan who was watching TV.

"Who's that?" He asked. "I know I did wrong, and that you want a child, but stealing someone else's isn't the answer. Get back to your car and we'll take this child back to her mother!"

"And I love you too!" Savannah replied. "Will you relax? I didn't _steal_ Mary. I babysit her. For money."

"You do?" Jonathan asked in amazement, very relieved that she'd found another way to deal with her longing for children that also gave him more time to adjust to the idea.

"Yes," Savannah nodded. "And she's human, so you don't have to be scared, okay? I thought this would be a good way to ease us into parenting. Mary, this is Jonathan," she introduced the little girl. "And Jonathan, this is Mary, whom I absoluitely haven't stolen from anyone."

"Well, in that case, I apologize for my accusatory tone, and...thank you for your efforts to help me feel better about parenting." Jonathan replied.

"Well, you're welcome," Savannah replied.

Jonathan then got on the floor next to the little girl, who immediately climbed into his lap. "Wow," Savannah replied. "I didn't think she was gonna take to you so quickly. She doesn't really like people."

"Well, that makes her just like you, then," Jonathan replied. "That seems to be the type of small child who is attracted to me."

Savannah gave a sarcastic laugh. "Well, aren't you droll?" She replied.

Jonathan nodded. "I try to be. So how did you come across this little darling?"

"It's actually thanks to my sister-in-law," Savannah replied. "She works at a daycare center, and when I told her I was interested in spending time with kids so I could have practice with my parenting, she took me on as a helper. And on the first day I was there, Mary just crawled into my lap like she did with you, and I've hardly gone a day without seeing her since."

"I wonder what drew her to you?" Jonathan wondered. "Well, other than your wonderful personality, I mean."

"Well, her mother has red hair too," Savannah replied. "Maybe I reminded her of her mother, and that's why she opened up to me when she hadn't opened up to anyone else before."

"And she's a human child?" Jonathan asked.

"Yes," Savannah said firmly. "I told you that."

"Well, I just wanted to make sure I heard you correctly," Jonathan replied. "Now, what is it that we should do with her?"

Savannah shrugged. "Anything you want. We usually play with dolls, but what did you do with me when I was a kid? Other than cower from my awesome powers?"

"I never cowered," Jonathan corrected. "I exercised reasonable caution. Anyone in my position would have."

"Whatever," Savannah replied and rooted around in Mary's bag for some snacks for the little girl, and then did some magic for her.

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" Jonathan asked nervously. "You could be putting yourself in some sort of danger."

"She's two!" Savannah pointed out. "Who would she tell?"

"You can't be too careful," Jonathan replied.

"That's the problem with not growing up among humans," Savannah told him. "It makes you so paranoid!" She picked Mary up and held her out to Jonathan. "Here. Have a small child. It might calm you down."

A flustered Jonathan took Mary in his arms and after a few minutes, decided to take her to the library in their house and read to her. Then she fell asleep and Jonathan zapped up a crib and tucked her in.

"She seems so peaceful," Jonathan said when Savannah came to check on him. "It's a shame we'll have to give her back soon.

"Well, look at you," Savannah clapped him on the back. "You have discovered a fondness for children that was previously not there."

"Look at her, though," Jonathan said, reaching out to stroke the little girl's hair. "Have her parents told you about plans to go on any long vacations? A couple of hours isn't enough. It goes by too fast."

Savannah hugged him. "Just be patient," she said. "That will happen at some point, I'm sure."

* * *

"Not a single phone call from Regina," Kol told Margot. "Should we be concerned? See if she's all right? Remember how she told us that she and that Declan boy broke up."

"Oh, don't worry about it," Margot said. "Liam would tattle to us if there was anything really wrong. She's probably just having some fun. And that's not a bad thing."

"You're right," Kol replied. "In fact, it wouldn't hurt us to follow her lead."

"All right," Margot replied. "What do you wanna do?"

Kol raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean 'what do you want to do'? How many answers can there be when I say we should follow our daughter's lead and have some fun?"

"Oh," Margot nodded, her cheeks coloring a little. "Duh." Then she and Kol undressed and got busy, which Regina interrupted, much to her horror.

"Oh, my god!" She cried. "Couldn't you have left a tie on the door or something?"

"Heaven forbid we have sex in our own house," Margot told her daughter while covering herself up. "About time we heard from you. What have you been doing with yourself?"

"Coping," Regina replied. "Dealing with loss in what some would see as a very destructive way."

"You slept with a lot of guys since Declan left?" Margot asked.

"Would I get in trouble if I told you how many?" Regina replied.

"No," Kol replied. "But it's still information that you should feel free to keep to yourself."

"Look," Regina replied. "I'll go in the kitchen and the two of you can scamper off to your bedroom to put on some clothes. Or at least a bathrobe." She went into the kitchen and Kol and Margot just stared at one another. "What do you think, Kol?" Margot asked. "Should we do what she says? Or should we turn this into a valuable lesson about calling before you come barging into someone's house?"

Kol smiled and played with Margot's hair for a bit before saying, "Let's have mercy on her just this once."

"Oh, all right," Margot replied. They went and covered up, and then Regina came out of the kitchen, avoiding the couch that she'd found her parents on and sitting on the opposite side of the room. They sat in silence and then Kol asked, "Who wants a drink?"

"Me!" Regina cried. "And you don't have to teach me that lesson about calling first. Next time, I'll just go to Liam's instead of coming here. Although with the girlfriend I got him, I'm just as likely to run into the same mess at his house, so it just depends which one I'm more willing to stand."

Kol brought out a bottle of wine, and they all had a few glasses before Regina stood up. "I'll leave you two to your activities," she said. "And I'll go out and find the man whose bed I'll most likely be waking up in tomorrow."

"Are you really happy living your life this way?" Margot asked her. "When I was living like that, it was because I was miserable."

"Well, it's not like I can have the guy I really want, so what choice do I have?" Regina asked.

"Maybe you could just wait," Margot replied. "Instead of filling up your nights with guys you don't give a shit about, find a hobby, get a dog, do something to keep yourself occupied that will leave you with a sense of fulfillment and not a sense of emptiness. Don't get me wrong. Guys are great, but they don't solve everything."

"All right," Regina sighed. "I won't go out. Can I stay here tonight?"

"Sure," Margot replied. "If you want to."

"I do," Regina replied. "Goodnight."

* * *

"Are you sure that us going to your house is a good idea?" King asked Vivi as she parked her car and pulled him to the front door. "What if your dad doesn't like me?"

"Well, would you really care?" Vivi asked. "It doesn't even matter. You're gonna have to meet my parents sometime. If I can stand yours, you certainly can stand mine. Just don't cause trouble and things will be okay."

They knocked on the door and Klaus immediately opened it. "There you are, Vivi," he said, pointedly ignoring King. "Will you talk to your mother?"

Vivi nodded and headed inside, but Klaus denied King entrance. "Daddy," Vivi said severely. "You have to let him in. His father always lets me in his house and you don't want to come off as being a worse host than Mikael, do you?"

"Fine," Klaus replied and let him in. He then grabbed King by the fabric of his shirt. "I'm letting you into my house," he said. "But unlike your father, I won't allow any funny business. Do you understand?"

"Yes," King nodded. "Okay." Then King was let go and he followed Vivi to find Amy. "Did you hear what your dad said to me?" He asked. "That is exactly why my house is more fun."

Vivi sighed. "Sorry about him," she apologized. "He just...he worries about me, you know? Cause when I was a kid, Mom took me away to Europe for five years and he didn't see me at all. So he's a bit overprotective."

"But he's acting like you're a kid still!" King cried. "And you're not. You can protect yourself."

"From you, yes I can," Vivi nodded. "Except for when I don't want to." They found her parents' bedroom and Vivi knocked on the door. "Mom?" She called. "Are you in there? Daddy wants me to check on you!"

"Come in," Amy called.

King and Vivi went inside, finding Amy to be very well. "I don't know what Dad is talking about," Vivi replied after getting a good look at her mother. "You seem fine. Daddy's acting like you're in horrible trouble!"

"Damn, and I thought I was doing such a good job of hiding it," Amy sighed. "A bit ago, I went and saw Astrid and she fixed me," she told Vivi. "Back to how I was before I had you, with my powers back and not being a vampire and everything. But I've been nervous about telling your father, especially cause now that I'm back to normal, I can have kids again, and I don't want a repeat of what happened when you were born."

"Are you saying you're pregnant?" Vivi asked, wide-eyed.

"No, but I could be, just in general," Amy replied.

Then, they heard a voice. "How long have you known this?" Klaus asked from the open doorway. "And why didn't you tell me when it happened?"


	43. And Mary Makes Three

Amy saw Klaus and tensed while both Vivi and King shielded her from Klaus' view. "Hello, Daddy," Vivi said, trying to distract him. "How are you today?"

"Just fine," Klaus said as he got closer and closer to Amy. "Now will you and your...him...please leave while I talk to your mother?"

"No," Vivi said firmly. "You can talk to her just as easily with me here. Now say what you have to say."

Amy shut her eyes, waiting for a blow, and then Klaus stopped. "All right," he said, taking a deep breath. "Just tell me what's going on, Amy. What is this about you getting your powers back?"

"I asked Astrid for them, and since I lost them due to being murdered, she gave them to me," Amy replied. "And I'm sorry I didn't tell you, but it was cause I knew you were gonna react badly! Am I right, or am I right? I think we all know the answer to that."

Klaus just gave her a long look, took her in his arms, and kissed her. "I'm not mad at you," he said. "I just...I don't enjoy being left out of things. It upsets me when you keep secrets. And this was not a secret you needed to keep. I'm _thrilled_ you have your powers again. And you're still a vampire?"

"No, I'm not," Amy shook her head. "I'm as I was before my murder."

"_Are_ you?" Klaus smiled widely. "How_ fascinating_."

"I know that look," Amy replied. "And if you wanna take advantage of the fact that I am fertile once again, we have to talk about it first."

"Then you're willing to take advantage of it again?" Klaus asked brightly.

"I wouldn't mind," Amy said. "If you're willing to be okay with the possibility that you'd have another daughter."

"Of course," Klaus replied. "I'm perfectly okay with an army of redheaded lovelies. No worries about that."

As they kissed again and Klaus began trying to remove Amy's jeans, Vivi cleared her throat. "Okay. Now that it seems like nobody is hurting anyone, King and I are gonna go, all right?"

"Okay," Klaus said without turning to face Vivi. "Have a good time. And leave your door open or a certain young man won't live to see another day."

"Oh, all right," Vivi replied and took King's hand. "Come on." She brought him to her room and took him inside, giving him a kiss as her hand crept under his shirt.

"No caution," King smiled before feeling her tongue slip between his lips. "I like how you think!"

"I mean, you won't be seeing me naked, but I figure that with what my parents are doing, a little making out won't hurt," Vivi said after breaking the kiss. Then she put her arms around him and lay her head on his shoulder. "I know you were expecting lots of sex," she said. "And I get that my dad is no picnic compared to yours, but just being together is good, right?"

"Yeah," King replied, running his fingers through Vivi's hair. "It's better than nothing, I guess."

She stayed in his arms for a bit, and then stood straight. "If you wanna leave now, we can."

"I would love to," King replied. "In fact, I saw this nice little hotel we could book a room at. Peace and quiet. No parents being pains in the ass."

"We're sixteen," Vivi replied. "No hotel in their right mind would rent a room to us if we're by ourselves."

King rolled his eyes. "You underestimate me, Grasshopper," he said. "Come with me, and I shall show you the ways of the vampire."

"I know the ways of the vampire," Vivi asked. "I'm one too, remember?"

King made a face. "Yeah, but you're sort of a half-hearted vampire. You don't really let yourself get into it. Is it cause your mom filled your head with a bunch of moral garbage?"

"Maybe," Vivi said. "But I wouldn't call valuing people's lives 'garbage'."

"Oh, god," King sighed and picked her up. "Here we go again. I can't listen to this anymore." He then carried her through the house, setting her on her feet for only a short while while she left a note to her parents before he picked her up again, took her to his car, and they went to get a room at that hotel.

* * *

The next day, Savannah was preparing for Mary's arrival when she got a call from Helene. "I have something I need to tell you," Helene said, a catch in her voice.

"What is it?" Savannah asked, feeling instinctively that she was about to hear bad news.

"I know you're probably waiting for Mary, but she's here at the center," Helene replied. "Her parents were killed in a car crash this morning and it's still being worked out what's to be done with her."

"I can take her until more permanent arrangements can be made," Savannah replied. "In fact, I'll take her permanently. Unless I'll have a ton of relatives to fight."

"No," Helene replied. "Her parents were only children. They were the only family she had left. You and Jonathan better get down here as soon as possible."

"All right," Savannah replied. "Let me go get Jonathan and we'll be there right away."

She ran down the stairs to the ground floor morning room where Jonathan was looking over some magic books. He'd recently gotten new students to teach magic too and was working on a lesson plan for them.

"I know you're busy," she told him, "but Helene called. Mary's at the center and we have to go pick her up."

"What's she doing at the center?" Jonathan asked. "Why didn't her parents bring her here?"

"Cause her parents were killed in a car crash this morning," Savannah replied. "And apparently, the police at the crash site brought her to the center cause they didn't know what else to do with her for the moment."

"All right," Jonathan stood up. "Let's go and see what's to be done with the little darling."

So they got in the car and drove to the center where Helene met them at the door and ushered them inside. They then met with police officers and members of the CPS.

"So you're Mary's babysitter?" A woman in a gray suit and tortoise shell glasses asked Savannah.

"I am," Savannah replied. "Me and my husband both watch Mary during the day. Her parents thought that would be better for her than being here at the center where she wasn't managing well with the other children."

The woman wrote on a clipboard and turned to Helene. "Do you feel that these two are good people who would make suitable guardians for Mary?" She asked.

"Well, yes, of course," Helene replied. "I should think that if that's what her parents wanted, then that would be good enough for you, but if you need another endorsement, I can give you one."

"Are you two married?" The woman asked Savannah.

"Yes, we are," Savannah nodded.

"And does at least one of you work so that if Mary came to live with you, she'd be properly supported?"

"I teach," Jonathan replied. "And we both have some independent wealth as well, so we should have no trouble supporting Mary financially."

"Good," the woman nodded. "Any history of abuse or criminal behavior?"

"No," Jonathan and Savannah said at the same time. And it was true. They had no criminal behavior in their pasts that humans could successfully trace to them. It was then that Savannah caught the woman's eye. "We don't have to go through all of this," she said. "Jonathan and I are fit parents. If her parents wanted us to watch Mary, that should be enough."

"All right!" The woman said as Jonathan gave Savannah a look of disapproval. "You go ahead and take her. We don't need to trouble you anymore. You'll get the official adoption papers in a few days, and then you can get a judge to sign them and she'll be yours."

"Wonderful," Savannah smiled and went to pick up Mary who was sitting by herself and sobbing quietly. Then she just held her until she quieted.

"You think we'll be able to do this?" She asked Jonathan. "Be parents to this little girl?"

"I think so," Jonathan replied, ruffling Mary's hair and kissing her head. "I'll fix the house up once we get back and you can take her shopping for small child you didn't have to compel that nice woman who was talking to you."

"Sounds like a plan to me," Savannah said. "Maybe I'll call my mom. She and Dad will probably be delighted to hear that they have a new grandchild. And yes I did have to compel her. Otherwise, it would have taken forever to get Mary.

"Your father will like her? Even if she's not a vampire or anything?" Jonathan asked. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah," Savannah nodded and handed Mary over to her husband as they walked out to the car and Mary actually managed a smile. "I'm positive."


	44. Spread The News

"So what is this big surprise you have for me?" Amy asked as Savannah brought her into the living room where Mary was playing on a blanket and Jonathan was watching her as he wrote his lesson plans.

"All right," Savannah said. "You can open your eyes now."

Amy did so and looked down. "It's that little girl you babysit! I finally get to visit her?"

"Yes," Savannah nodded. "But now she's not just the little girl I babysit. Now she's your granddaughter."

"What?" Amy asked and went to sit down on the sofa. "Savannah, did you-"

"Don't finish that sentence," Savannah said. "Why does everyone think I stole her? No, Jonathan and I adopted her legit."

"Except for the part where you compelled the social worker to speed up the process," Jonathan said dryly.

"Well, she's a shy little baby and I didn't want to risk her being put in a foster home until we could have her," Savannah replied. Then she looked at her mother. "Wanna go say 'Hi'?"

Amy nodded and went to sit next to the little girl. Mary studied her for a few seconds and then climbed into her lap. "Look! She likes me!" Amy cried. "Savannah, I'm so proud of you for what you're doing for this little girl."

"Thanks. I knew she'd like you," Savannah replied. "But I wonder about Dad."

"Why?" Amy asked. "Are you afraid that he'll hurt her or something?"

"Well, no," Savannah replied. "But he's not used to dealing with human children and he can be a bit much, you know? Do you think I should wait to introduce him to Mary?"

"Wait for how long?" Amy asked. "You're gonna have to introduce the two of them sometime."

"Good point," Savannah replied. "Maybe I could invite Uncle Elijah over for the introduction. Dad might be more calm that way. Or Mary will."

"That could work," Amy replied. "And I'll be there too, of course."

"Good," Savannah nodded. "Would you arrange things with Daddy?"

"Sure I will," Amy replied. "Don't even worry about it."

* * *

"I have to say, I'm a little nervous," Klaus told Elijah a few days later. "Savannah and Putnam adopted a little human girl and wants me to meet her."

"I know, you told me this," Elijah said patiently. "Savannah's going to be here with Mary in a few minutes. And Amy is in the kitchen making tea. It's not like you have to face this alone."

"What if I can't do it?" Klaus asked. "Was it hard for you when Gregory brought Elizabeth home?"

"I was nervous at first, like you are," Elijah replied. "But it's really not as hard as you think to relate to a human child. I mean, you might have to be a little gentler, but it's nothing you haven't done before."

Just then, the bell rang and Elijah followed behind at a more leisurely pace as Klaus ran to answer it. He opened the door and there stood Savannah on his doorstep, holding the most adorable child he'd seen since Vivi.

"Daddy, can we come in?" Savannah asked.

"Sure," Klaus nodded. "Please do."

When they were all sitting down, Savannah put Mary on her feet. "You wanna go see your grandpa?" she asked. Mary paused for a moment, looking between Klaus and Elijah. She took a few steps back toward Savannah, and then Savannah took her hand and led her over to Klaus. "I picked a fine time not to have any candy in my pockets," Klaus muttered. After surveying Klaus for a few seconds and holding out her small hand for Klaus to take, Mary walked away from him and Klaus was dismayed until she came back with her doll and put it in his lap.

"What does that mean?" Klaus asked Savannah.

"You've been accepted," Savannah replied. "She may not be ready to hug you yet, but she trusts you with her most important thing."

"Well, I suppose that's something, isn't it?" Klaus replied and then let out a sigh.

"Are you gonna be okay?" Savannah asked him. "She _will_ warm up to you, you know. It's just gonna take some time."

"Of course," Klaus replied. But he couldn't help feeling a little jealous as he watched his granddaughter spend more time with his wife and his brother than him.

Then Savannah came and sat next to him, putting her arms around him and giving him a kiss on the cheek. "You still got me until Mary is comfortable with you," she said.

"Yes, I know," Klaus replied, returning her hug. "And I'm sorry. Have you told Susanna about Mary yet?"

"No, I haven't," Savannah replied. "You know, I should really do that."

"Yeah," Klaus replied. "You should."

* * *

"What do you _mean_ you have a baby?" Susanna cried after Savannah told her the news. "When did this happen and how could you possibly have kept it from me for nine months?! You told me about your miscarriage after like, day!"

"And more importantly, what does your dad think about you and Putnam having a kid?" Marcel asked. "I'm sad I missed his reaction."

"Well, first, it's not a biological child," Savannah replied. "Jonathan and I adopted Mary, who is a toddler, not a baby, after her parents died in a car accident. And Dad was cool with it. She's shy, so she's still adjusting to him, but it didn't upset him. Of course, when I actually get pregnant, Daddy might throw a fit, but based on Jonathan's reaction to my last pregnancy, it will probably be awhile before we try again." She paused. "You two wanna meet her sometime? Or Susanna, at least? Marcel, you don't have to if you don't want to."

"No, I will," Marcel replied. "Unless you think I'll freak her out too."

"No, you shouldn't," Savannah reassured him. "You don't have an overwhelming personality like Daddy does."

"I don't, do I?" Marcel smiled.

"So, when do you want to come over?" Savannah asked.

"Well, it can't be for awhile, cause I have some witch friends who are coming over and staying for a bit," Marcel replied. "And we have to entertain them."

"What is this 'we' business?" Susanna asked. "I don't know these people."

"But I told them you were charming and delightful and you don't want to make me look like a liar, do you?" Marcel replied.

"Fine, I'll play hostess," Susanna sighed. "But if they turn out to be big jerks, I reserve the right to head for the hills until they leave."

"Do you really think I'd subject you to the company of people who are big jerks?" Marcel asked her.

"Not intentionally," Susanna said. "But you never know."

"She has a point," Savannah replied. "I mean, one of your first friends was my dad and sometimes he's not the nicest guy, even though I love him."

"Just trust me, all right?" Marcel said firmly. "Please?"

"Oh, okay," Susanna replied, pushing her dark hair out of her eyes.

"Can I ask how you got witch friends?" Savannah wanted to know.

"Oh, in New Orleans, witches are all over the place," Marcel told her. "And warlocks too."

"Yeah," Susanna agreed. "You can't throw a rock down there without hitting a witch, especially in the French Quarter. There are so many of them. And most of the stores still have signs decrying my grandfather although it was _years_ ago that he and Grandma tried to take over the city. I'm surprised they liked me."

"Well, you don't exactly look like your grandfather, do you?" Marcel replied.

"No, not really," Susanna said. "I mean, I could have. Cause Mom's a natural blonde, and both of my parents have blue eyes in their families, but fortunately, I look like my daddy more."

"And thus, that is why people like you." Marcel replied. "Or at the very least, fear you. I mean, think about it: you got one of the most feared men in the magical world as a father, and one of the most reviled men in the history of New Orleans as a grandfather. And that doesn't even take into account what Klaus did down there."

"Was it bad?" Susanna asked him.

"I wouldn't call it bad," Marcel replied. "I mean, the people in the city might, but not me."

Susanna sighed. "It's a wonder I can walk anywhere down there without being shot or killed or whatever."

"Again you have your dad to thank for that," Marcel replied.

"Yeah," Susanna replied thoughtfully. "I guess I do." Then she looked apologetically at Savannah. "Sorry. What were we talking about before Marcel and I went off on that tangent?"

"Your witch friends who are coming to visit?" Savannah supplied.

"Oh, yeah," Susanna nodded. "Them. Look, I'll make sure to come and see your little girl in spite of them, okay?" She promised. "They shouldn't be so interested in me that they'll need me around 24/7."

"All right," Savannah replied. "Just let me know when you want to come and Mary and I will be waiting for you."

* * *

"I kind of feel bad that I'm here," Vivi said to King as they sat on the hood of his car and looked at the stars.

"Why do you feel bad?" King asked, kissing the back of her hand.

Vivi sighed. "My sister adopted a little girl and I haven't met her yet. I think Mom was expecting me to this evening."

"I don't think you should worry," King replied. "The kid isn't gonna disappear just because you don't meet her. You can see her whenever you want."

"That's what I was thinking," Vivi replied.

"Do I have to come with you to meet this kid?" King asked. "Cause your dad was bad enough."

"No, you don't have to," Vivi smiled. "Not now, anyway."

King then hopped off the trunk and got some blood out of the cooler next to one of the wheels. "You need some nourishment?" He asked.

"Don't mind if I do," Vivi replied and sat up on the hood, taking the bag of blood he held out to her after taking a few sips himself. "Thanks." After she had her fill, she hopped to the ground and put the bag back into the cooler. "I bet your dad hasn't missed having me around, has he?"

"He kind of has, actually," King replied. "My dad doesn't feel about you the same way your dad feels about me. Are you saying you want to come home with me and visit him again?"

"No," Vivi shook her head. "I definitely don't. Not until you have enough willpower that he doesn't ruin you every time you and I and him are in the same room together."

"He doesn't _ruin_ me!" King said. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"How could you not?" Vivi said. "You know he makes you act like an ass to me just because if you're nice he'll disapprove."

"I could stand up to him if I wanted to," King replied.

"The question is, why haven't you, then?" Vivi asked. "I mean, it's all well and good for us to go out and avoid your dad so that things are perfect, but does it really count?"

"Of course it counts!" King said. "You know it does!"

"I want to," Vivi replied. "Really, I do. But until you can look your dad in the eye and tell him you love me for more than just sex and babies and whatever, that I have more value to you than that, this is just not gonna work. I know I said it last time, but this time, I mean it." She hopped off the hood, got in the car, and drove off without giving King a chance to get inside.

"Fuck it, Vivian! That's _my_ car!" He cried and ran after it for a mile or so. But when it disappeared, he zapped himself to Klaus and Amy's driveway to wait for Savannah to get back so he could repossess what was rightfully his.


	45. Take The Keys and Drive

"So are you gonna give me my car back, or what?" King asked when he confronted Vivi in the school parking lot. Not only was she refusing to give him back his car, she was squiring around strange boys in the backseat. It didn't make him happy.

"Or what," Vivi responded. "You're not getting your car back. What do you need a car for anyway, when you can just zap yourself to school?"

"I could say the same thing to you, you know," King replied. "Now give me the fucking keys!"

"Or you'll do what?" Vivi asked, dangling the keys in his vision. He reached for them but she held them away. "What will you do to me if I don't give you what you want, King?"

He growled angrily. Her taunting was making him extremely irritated, but also very aroused. If he grabbed her and kissed her now, just like his body told him to, it would basically be condoning the crap she was pulling and that just wouldn't do.

"Answer the question," Vivi said. "What will you do to me if I don't give you what you want."

"Uh, excuse me." A knock on the window broke King's eye contact with Vivi, sparing him from reaching out and grabbing her.

"What?" Vivi said irritably to the boy in the backseat.

"Can I get out now?" He asked. "The car's starting to get a little warm."

"Fine," Vivi rolled her eyes and opened the door. "Go."

It was while she was distracted that King was able to grab the keys and run off, laughing as he made his way to the front door of the school.

When Vivi finally caught up to him, the keys were gone. "Okay, where did you put them?" She asked. "I wanna know now."

"Oh, I don't know if I should tell you," King replied slyly. "They're in a place you wouldn't be willing to go."

"Don't you be so sure about that," Vivi replied. "So, where are they?"

King grinned widely. "They're in my back pocket. Are you so eager to get them now?"

Vivi scoffed. "You think it'd be too much for me to reach into your back pocket?" She asked. "I can do it, and it won't even bother me a bit!"

"Fine," King replied. "Go ahead. I'm waiting."

She scowled and went around behind him, slipping two fingers in his back pocket to get the keys out. "No, no, no," he said, reaching behind him for her wrist. "That's not how you do it. Why don't I make it a little easier for you?" He then grabbed her and pulled her against himself, kissing her deeply, then held her. "There," he said. "It'll be easier for you to reach now that you're closer."

Vivi gave him a hard slap and then reached into his pocket, grabbing the keys and whipping them out so that King wouldn't have a lot of time to enjoy the experience. She then put them in her purse and zipped it. "You know," she said, "I was thinking of giving you your keys back today, but this little stunt of yours has made me change my mind. At the rate you're going, you're never gonna see your car again. Have fun explaining to your daddy why that is."

"If you're trying to make me beg," King told her as he pushed her up against the wall, "I'm not gonna do that."

"Good," Vivi said. "Cause like I told you, I hate a man who begs."

"Oh, I know," King replied.

"Tell me," Vivi said, leaning forward so that their lips were almost touching. "What would your father do in a situation like this?"

"I'll show you, and then I'm taking back my keys," King replied.

"Only if you earn them," Vivi replied.

Just as King was about to respond to this, the school bell rang and King and Vivi reluctantly separated to go to their individual classes.

* * *

Over lunch, King had to take a call from his father. "Have you convinced that girl to give you back your car yet?" He asked. "No matter what your mother says, in this case, physical force is_ not _a bad thing!"

"Yeah, I know," King sighed. "I'll get the car back soon, I promise."

"Good," Mikael replied. "Cause if you don't, I will. Do you understand?"

"Dad, it's just a car!" King cried. "You can always get another one!"

"So you're saying that you're willing to let that girl have something that belongs to you? To me? Is it some sort of present that you're using to get her affections?" Mikael asked.

"Well, no, of course not!" King replied. "I'm just saying that if I'm unable to get it back, it's not a big deal!"

"But you will fight all you can to get it back?" Mikael asked.

"Of course I will!" King said. "Why wouldn't I?"

"Because thanks to your hormones, you're turning into a man who'll just do anything to please a pretty face!" Mikael told him.

"Actually, the whole reason why she took my keys is because she thinks that I'm too much like you and won't be able to commit," King replied. "So think about that: it's your own way of thinking that got us into this mess."

"That's nonsense!" Mikael replied. "Just get the car!" He ended the call and King went to see Vivi, who was sitting on the front steps of the school. "Got a call from my dad," he said. "And Dad _really_ wants the car back. If you don't give me back the keys, things will not end well for you."

"Are you serious?" Vivi asked. "Or are you just trying to scare me?"

"You know me," King replied. "You know the sort of tactics I use if I want something out of somebody, and unlike my father, I don't like to frighten people. I prefer to sweet talk them onto my side. What I'm saying about my dad is absolutely serious, so just give me the keys, please. I don't want to see you dead, or whatever my father would have planned for you if he dealt with this himself."

"Oh, all right," Vivi replied, dropping the keys into his open palm. "But you still have to let me drive it sometimes."

"I will," King told her as he stood up. "When you earn it. Will I be seeing you after school?"

"Yeah, you will," Vivi replied. "Thanks for taking me home."

"You're welcome," King replied. "See you later."

* * *

"I can't believe you two adopted a human girl," Jonathan's sister Anne told him as they cleaned up after a late lunch. Their mother was reading Mary a book in the living room and was as enchanted by the little girl as everyone else. "And naming her after Mom was clever."

"It's just a coincidence that she has the same name as your mom," Savannah replied. "It's the one her birth parents gave her. They were devout Catholics or something."

"And do you have a problem with us adopting a human girl?" Jonathan asked. "Are you going to be as closed-minded as Father would have been?"

"Oh, god no," Anne replied. "I didn't mean that I was surprised in a _bad_ way. It's a pleasant surprise. Do you think that if I was truly anti-human, I would come and have dinner with Mom and her human boyfriend on Friday nights?"

"You have a point," Jonathan admitted.

"It's a shame you can't teach her like your magic students," Anne said. "Again, not a judgment. Just an observation."

"We still have to think about what we'll do for her education," Jonathan replied.

"Yeah, we don't even know what we're going to have her call us," Savannah added as she came in to throw her napkin away. "I mean, I was thinking the standard 'Mom and Dad' would do, as long as we made it clear that we're not her birth parents. I mean, that will be clear when she realizes we're magical and she's not."

"Are you worried about how she'll react when she realizes?" Anne asked. "Do you think she'll reject you?"

"No," Savannah replied. "That's why I do magic around her more often than Jonathan thinks I should. So that by the time she's older, she'll see it as just a normal part of her life and not something weird."

"Wow," Anne said thoughtfully, pushing her brown hair out of her eyes. "That's actually really smart."

"I know it is," Savannah replied. "Why do you think I do it? Your brother thinks it's just to drive him crazy, but there's more to it than that."

Just then, Jonathan's mother came in with a sleeping Mary in her arms. "It seems like someone is ready for a nap," She whispered. "I think I wore her out."

"Doesn't surprise me," Savannah replied as her mother in law carefully handed the little girl over to her in a way that wouldn't wake her. "She's not really the adventurous type."

"After I finish helping Anne with the dishes, we can get her home to bed," Jonathan said. He then quickly dried the rest of the dishes Anne had washed with his magic, and then he, Savannah, and Mary headed home.

* * *

"Do you think there's something wrong with me?" Klaus asked Amy as they lay in bed that night.

"Well, what do you mean?" Amy asked. "Are you still upset that Savannah's little girl didn't take to you? She did! Remember that Savannah told you that her giving you the doll means that she likes you?"

"Yeah, I remember that," Klaus nodded. "But she hugged everyone else. For a very long time! Does she hug you?"

"Well, yes," Amy nodded. "But I really think you're worrying over nothing. A few years with Savannah and she'll probably be used to such a colorful character as yours."

"But I don't _want_ to wait _years_!" Klaus cried. "What am I supposed to do until then?" He then turned back to Amy. "I just remembered! You're back to normal! You can have kids again! I think we should do it!"

"You really think you're ready?" Amy asked. "You're not gonna get pissed off and try to kill me again, are you?"

"No," Klaus shook his head. "Because this time, I'll be sure that the child is mine."

"Well, that's true," Amy replied as Klaus ran fingers through her hair.

"What do you say we get started?" He asked.

"Sure," Amy replied. "Why not?" Then he grabbed her, kissed her, and tickled her until she laughed so hard she couldn't breath before pushing into her as she clung to him tightly.


	46. Ruthless People

"I don't know why you're so upset about the car," Gwen told Mikael. "All you have to do is ask and I will make you another car. It will stop you from making a big rift between you and your son cause you made the stupid decision to kill his girlfriend."

"I'm not just gonna ask you to make me another car, Gwendolyn!" Mikael thundered. "It's the principle of the thing. No one takes anything from me. Not especially if they happen to be the daughter of my ex-wife's bastard son!"

"So if Vivi wasn't who she was then you'd be smart enough to let this go?" Gwen asked.

"If Vivian wasn't who she was, the fight wouldn't be worth it," Mikael confirmed. "Exactly."

Gwen rolled her eyes and moved her hand. "There," she said. "There's another car in the driveway and it's even better than the one you had before."

"I won't accept it!" Mikael cried. "I refuse!"

It was then that Regina arrived for the day's hunt. "Hey, Grandpa, that's a cool car in the driveway. You think we should take it? I think we should. Let's go."

Gwen smiled. "See you later, darling!" She called to Mikael who was reluctantly following his granddaughter outsde.

"Don't you say another word, Gwendolyn!" he called back, not wanting to see the smirk on his wife's face.

"When did you get this car?" Regina asked. "I've never seen it before."

"Gwen made it up for me cause my other one is currently being held hostage by your cousin Vivian while she and King are having a spat," Mikael replied. "That's why you've never seen it before."

"Well, it's nice," Regina said as she got in the driver's seat. "If you hate this car so much, can I drive?"

"All right," Mikael replied. "Hell, you can even have the damn thing if you want."

"Nah, I have my own car," Regina replied. "But thanks!"

Mikael hated the thought of having to bring the car back to Gwen and telling her that he used it. That thought made him so angry that throughout the day, he might have used more force on the vampires he and Regina caught than was necessary.

"That guy was already dead," Regina said as they drove away from their last kill. "You didn't have to turn him into a disgusting puddle of goo."

"Well, yes I did," Mikael replied. "He had to learn his lesson and that was the consequence."

"Ah," Regina nodded. "Okay."

Not wanting to be alone with Gwendolyn's smirky, condescending face, he asked Regina if she wanted to spend the night.

"Sure," Regina nodded. "I don't have anything going on tomorrow. I'd be glad to." So after they arrived home, Regina followed her grandfather inside and then bumped into Mikael as he stopped cold. "What did you stop for?" Regina asked. "You're not even all the way in the house yet!"

But Mikael didn't hear her. Instead, he was staring at Gwen, who was conversing with Doctor Vladimir who sat on a chair next to her. "What are _you_ doing here?" He spat at his former father in law.

"I just came to see the woman you replaced my daughter with," Doctor Vladimir replied. "And I suppose that if you _had_ to replace my daughter, Gwen here was a good way to go."

"You're too kind," Gwen smiled. She turned to Mikael. "Why don't you come and sit down? Want some wine?"

"You better believe I do!" Mikael replied and stole the entire bottle, darting away as Doctor Vladimir greeted Regina, who dealt much better with his sudden appearance than her grandfather.

* * *

"Who was that woman whose car we went to fix?" Vivi asked King as they drove to school on Friday. "And why was she acting all flirty around you?"

"Her name is Rebecca," King replied. "Technically she's my sister, but she was adopted, so not really."

"Your_ sister _is flirting with you?" Vivi looked outraged. "That's disgusting!" She said this while neglecting to mention that she was plotting to pretend to date her cousin Eli so King would be humiliated.

"Don't worry," King assured her. "I don't really like Rebecca that way. She should have been paying attention to that poor guy who was sitting with her. He seemed sort of smitten."

"And what makes you think that?" Vivi asked. "You don't notice things like that unless they're about you!"

"Well, all I know is that he was looking at her the same way that I sometimes think about looking at you and then you irritate me too much for me to do so," King replied. "He loves her."

"You gonna try and play cupid?" Vivi asked. "That would be sweet."

"There's really no point now," King replied. "Not as long as Rebecca thinks she's in love with me."

"And who knows how long it will take to cure her of that delusion?" Vivi asked. "Since she doesn't actually know how annoying you are, it's gonna take forever!"

It was then that King grabbed Vivi and kissed her deep. When he pulled away and saw her stunned look, he said, "Now what is it that you were saying about me being annoying, Miss Jealous Person?"

Vivi opened and shut her mouth a few times and even reconsidered her plot with Eli, but then shook her head and turned away from King. "You're still annoying," She replied. "You're just an annoying person who happens to be a good kisser."

"Well, it's very good of you to admit that," King told her. "Cause we both know that if you said anything else, it would be a lie."

"And I think you'd feel the same way about me," Vivi said. "If you saw me with another guy, you would just go _mad_ with jealousy!"

"Oh, you wouldn't do that!" King replied. "You don't have the guts to go be with someone else. You love me too much!"

"I most certainly do not!" Vivi replied. "I think we've already established that I'm perfectly capable of moving on if you're acting like a dork, and I just might be doing that soon."

"Oh, yeah?" King shouted. "How soon?"

"Why do you care?" Vivi asked. "If I'm supposedly the one who's so attached to you that I can't even have my own life, why do you care about me seeing other guys? Sounds like it's _you_ who's way too attached to _me_. The only reason you can get away with thinking otherwise is cause you know it'll upset your father if you admit the truth to yourself."

"Hey, why don't you just leave my father out of this, okay?" King said. "You know, I stuck up for you against him the other day. He said he'd kill you if you didn't give me back the keys to the car and I basically said I didn't want you to die."

"You did?" Vivi asked in surprise. "Well, thank you."

"You're welcome," King replied. He took a deep breath, and when they reached school, it happened to be just as Eli was pulling in and getting out of his own car. "Hey, Eli!" Vivi called and gave him a wave. "How are you?"

The greeting surprised Eli so much that he didn't even respond to it right away, and even as he turned around to reply in kind, he started and dropped all his books on the ground.

"What a dork," King chuckled.

Vivi rolled her eyes and left King to go help Eli with his things and then she said, "Want me to carry half of them? I wouldn't mind."

"Well, thank you," Eli replied with a smile. "I appreciate that." They then walked into school together as King trailed behind, muttering angrily under his breath and trying to get Vivi's attention while she made an obvious effort to ignore him and talk to Eli instead.

* * *

Vivi decided to zap herself home after school and have some peace and quiet time away from King. But when she got home, she noticed her sister's car in the driveway. She went inside and called her mother's name.

"We're in the living room with your sister!" Amy called. "Come in here!"

Vivi did so and saw her sister on the couch between her parents with a little girl on her lap. "I was hoping you'd be around," Savannah said to her sister. "Everyone has met Mary but you."

"Would you be offended if I told you I was a little shocked you have a kid now?" Vivi asked her sister.

"No," Savannah shook her head. "You wouldn't be the first person to feel that way."

Vivi didn't know how to approach the little girl. She didn't just feel the urge to scoop her up and give her a hug, so instead she waited until the little girl approached her to see what she would do. As usual, Mary studied Vivi with an intensity that actually made her nervous until she finally reached up.

"What should I do?" Vivi asked her sister. "Should I put her on my lap?"

"Yeah," Savannah replied. "It looks like that's what she wants."

"All right," Vivi said, feeling as if she had no idea of what she was doing. "I hope you don't expect too much from me," she told Mary. "I might let you down."

But Mary smiled as though she didn't believe that and gave Vivi a hug, leaving Klaus the only one in the family that Mary still had to warm up to, a point that he was very vocal about to Amy that night.


	47. A Trick Up Her Sleeve

"Okay," Amy told Klaus. "Savannah and I had a talk, and we're gonna do something together while you watch Mary. This could be just the chance she needs to be as comfortable with you as she is with everyone else. Once she gets used to you, I'm sure she'll love you"

"Oh, I'm not so sure about that," Klaus replied. "I'll be putting my plan 'B' into action just in case."

"And just what is your plan 'B'?" Amy asked.

"Will I have time to go to the toy store before Savannah drops Mary off?" Klaus asked.

"No!" Amy cried. "You don't have to bribe Mary with toys to get her to like you. Just be nice. You can do it!"

"You have your way of getting to know people and I have mine," Klaus replied, grabbing his car keys as Amy sighed. Then, he paused by the door. "Or I could wait until she gets here and take her to the toy store _with_ me," he said. "That could be an even better idea."

Amy just sighed. She still didn't think that he was going about this the right way, but she knew that there was no making him think otherwise when he was the only one in the family Mary still had to warm up to. "Just don't overwhelm the poor girl," she warned him as Savannah's car pulled up.

"Would I do that?" Klaus asked as he sat on the sofa, keys in hand. When Savannah brought Mary in and plopped her down in Klaus' lap, he expected her to take one look at him and scream her head off. But she didn't. Instead, she just stared at him for a really long time, then gave him her doll again.

"Are we gonna be okay here?" Savannah asked. "Cause I mean, we can stay a little while longer if you need us to."

"I think you can go," Klaus replied. "There doesn't seem to be any trouble here."

"All right," Savannah replied. "We'll see you later."

"Good luck," Amy added.

After the door had shut behind them, Klaus sat Mary down beside him, holding her doll in his lap. "Hello," he said to her. To his surprise, she then smiled and waved at him. "Hi," she said.

"Well, look at that," Klaus said. "You can talk! Have you talked to anyone else?"

"No," Mary shook her head. "Where Vannah go?"

"She went out for a little bit," Klaus replied, assuming she was talking about his daughter. "So you'll be with me today."

"Oh," Mary nodded. "That's okay."

"Are you scared of me?" Klaus asked.

"No," Mary shook her head. "Play with me!" She held the doll out to him.

"Don't you want to go and get other toys?" Klaus asked. "I can take you."

"No," Mary shook her head resolutely, a look on her face that made Klaus wonder if she'd spent more time with his daughter than he'd suspected. "I like dolly. Play with me!"

"All right," Klaus replied. "You can't say I'd ever deny a lady what she wants."

* * *

They were still playing when Amy and Savannah returned home, but at the sight of them, Mary, who'd been very chatty before, lapsed into silence.

"Hi, Mary," Savannah said, picking her up. "I'm back! Did you have a good time with Grandpa?"

"Oh, yes," Klaus nodded as Mary just burrowed her head in Savannah's shoulder. "We had a wonderful time."

"So this time alone actually did you some good?" Savannah asked. "Mary is warming up to you now?"

"Yes, very much so," Klaus replied. "She even _spoke_ to me."

"Are you sure?" Savannah asked. "I've rarely heard her speak. She said a few words to me when we played before the accident, but since Jonathan and I took her in, she hasn't said a thing. I might have to take her in to see somebody. She could be more traumatized by her parents' accident than we realize."

"Doesn't seem all that traumatized to me," Klaus smirked. "She seems a lot like you, Savannah. I believe you've rubbed off on her."

"Oh, don't be silly," Savannah told her father. "I mean look at how shy she is! She's nothing like me. Although I don't think it would hurt for me to rub off on her a little."

"You never know," Amy told her. "It could happen."

"So, now that you're back, do you need to take Mary and go?" Klaus asked.

"I suppose we don't have to leave right away," Savannah shrugged. "It's interesting that you've made so much progress in such a short amount of time."

"It's like I told your mother," Klaus replied. "You let me spend a little time with a child, and they'll warm up to me."

"And it's nice to see you did it without bribery," Amy smiled, noticing there wasn't a single shopping bag on the living room floor.

"I need to run to the store real quick to pick up a few things," Savannah replied. "Things Jonathan needs for his lessons. I'll be back in a bit and that's when I'll take her home with me."

"All right," Savannah nodded.

Fearing that Mary would be silent even with Amy around, Klaus looked pointedly at his wife. "Would you be willing to go with her?" He asked.

"Why?" Amy wanted to know. "Savannah doesn't need my help doing shopping."

"Just cause she doesn't need it doesn't mean she shouldn't have it," Klaus replied. "_Go_, please?"

"Fine," Amy sighed. "But you're really weird, you know that?"

And as they made their way to the car, Mary waved at the door. "Bye-bye, Vannah!" She called and then smiled at Klaus who had to chuckle himself. "You are a very sneaky child," he told her. "You got brought into the right family. I think you'll fit right in."

* * *

"You okay, Dad?" King asked. "You've been much angrier than usual lately."

"It's your _mother_," Mikael spat. "She's making friends with my former father-in-law and forcing me to spend time with him, although we separated on bad terms and I was all right with that."

"Well, at least she's not cheating on you with some dork from the chess club!" King replied. "I mean what Vivi could see in a guy who can't hold onto his books for two seconds without dropping them on the floor when her prior experience with men was _me_, I have no idea."

"Why is this even a problem for you?" Mikael asked him irritably. "You think that with all the trouble I'm going through I care about your petty, childish problems? She's not worth it. Go get someone else and don't complain to me about this again!"

"Yes, sir," King replied, getting his keys and going on the hunt for some new blood.

Wanting to stay away from vampires for the time being, he just picked a random bar and went inside. He got a drink after compelling the bartender and was gulping it down when a voice behind him made him choke.

"Well, look who's here?" Rebecca cried, smiling at him and flipping her blonde hair. "You know, I was really hoping to see you. I wanted to make sure we could have some time to talk...alone."

"Oh, please," King sighed. "I'm not drunk enough yet to talk about the things you want to talk about."

Rebecca sat beside him, reached out, and ran a finger down his bare arm. "You're looking very handsome tonight," she said.

"Thanks," King replied. "But I-I'm really not in the mood to hook up. Plus, you're kind of my sister, and that's weird...not that you're not beautiful-"

"Shhh!" Rebecca said, putting a finger on his lips. "Don't talk. You'll ruin everything!"

"How many drinks have _you_ had?" King wanted to know. "Cause I'm sure I'm more sober than you right now."

"I'm not drunk!" Rebecca giggled. "I just want a night with a handsome man. Is that so wrong?"

"Of course not," King replied. "But there are lots of guys here who don't have a mother in common with you. Pick one of them."

"I don't_ want _to," Rebecca replied. "Plus, think what a night with me would do to that redhead you're with. I heard her talking, making plans with Eli just to piss you off. Don't you want a little payback?" She took his hand and placed it on her breast, giving him a kiss before he finally nodded. "Well," he said, "If you put it that way..." and followed her out to her car, even though, in his gut, he knew it was something that he'd be paying for for the rest of his life. Or at least a long time, anyway. Especially when Vivi got on the internet the next morning and found a message in her email with a picture in it of a shirtless King being kissed by a shirtless (and bra-less) Rebecca in the backseat of her car that had the subject line **"Screw You, Vivi."**


	48. Your Lips Are Moving

Vivi stared at her computer screen for several minutes and then let out a growl before throwing a punch that cracked the screen right down the middle. "That-that-that" She couldn't think of a strong enough word to describe the certain young man who was going to end up a eunuch once she got her hands on him. "Asshole," She muttered. "You damn fucking asshole!" She got up from the computer, grabbed her keys, and strode out the door, heading for her aunt and uncle's house to get some ideas about how to get her revenge on King.

* * *

"Vivian!" Kol said brightly when he opened the door. "Come in, come in!"

"Thanks," Vivi replied. "But I didn't just come here to chat. I need your help."

"You do?" Kol asked, a grin on his face as he sat on the sofa. "Certainly, darling. What can I do for you?"

"I need advice," Vivi replied. "And I feel like you'd be in a better position to give me it than my father would. So let's say you're pissed at someone, and you want to teach them a lesson by hurting them, but not killing them. How would you do that?"

Kol smiled. "You know, I've always been very fond of baseball bats," he said. "Not the aluminum ones, although they _do_ make a delightful cracking sound when they connect with someone's skull. The wooden ones, Louisville sluggers to be exact."

"Do you have any on you?" Vivi asked. "There's somebody I need to take out." She frowned as Kol began laughing at her. "What's so funny?" She asked. "You think I can't do it? Is that what's making you laugh so hard?"

"No, of course not," Kol replied when he could get a breath. "It's just that your father always thought you'd be the good, kind daughter. He was obviously wrong."

"Not entirely," Vivi replied. "I can be good and kind unless you screw me over. Then I won't be so much."

"Would you care to tell me who this person is that you want to beat to a pulp?" Kol asked.

"King," Vivi said. "He cheated on me again last night and was stupid enough to send me the pictures to prove it. I've had it, Uncle Kol. I want revenge!"

"Well, that's not unreasonable," Kol replied. "Are you planning on going to confront King by yourself?"

"No, I think I'll take Daddy with me," Vivi replied. "You wanna come too since it will be your bat I'm using?"

"Sure," Kol nodded. "I've been itching for a good kill. Or, at the very least, a good beating. Not for me, of course. For someone else."

* * *

"What are you so happy about?" Amy asked Klaus when she saw his maniacal grin. "Usually, when you have that face, it makes me worry. So what's happening?"

"Nothing you need to worry about," Klaus replied. "Vivi, Kol, and I are just going to do a little bonding is all."

"I see," Amy replied. "Two questions: one, does this bonding involve murder, and two, did you push her into it?"

"One, it could possibly involve murder, we'll see how Vivi feels," Klaus replied. "And two, no, I didn't push her into it. She asked me. It was all her idea."

"Oh, dear god," Amy replied. "Not again!"

"It's nothing," Klaus replied. "We'll kill King, get some ice cream, and then come right back. Problem solved."

"Not really," Amy sighed. "Far from it. Not that you asked me. But of course you didn't, and I know I can't stop you from doing whatever it is that you're doing, so you might as well go and get it over with.

"We will," Klaus nodded. "And we'll be back soon."

"You might find that I've been drinking a little when you come back," Amy told him.

"All right," Klaus replied. "Whatever." He then went out to meet Vivi and Kol by the car and said, "Okay, let's go over the checklist: do we have the bat?"

"Yes," Kol replied, opening the trunk and peering in. "Along with the stuff that will neutralize King's powers when poured on him (which Vivi has put in a spill proof container). After she lures King to her, we'll dump the concoction on him, and then when he's powerless, we'll grip him and she can just pound away to her heart's content."

"Sounds like a good plan to me," Vivi said. "I just turned into Rebecca and have tricked him into thinking that she wants to come over for another rendez-vous. I bet he's sitting in his living room right now with no pants on thinking about what a good time he's about to have." She smiled and rubbed her hands together. "Boy is _he_ in for a surprise!"

They got in the car and when they reached Gwen and Mikael's house, it seemed like King was the only one home. Not believing their good fortune, Vivi changed into Rebecca again, with the bat concealed as best it could be, and then knocked on the door while Kol and Klaus remained hidden on either side of the house with Kol holding the bucket of mixture to weaken King. She was about to call out, but she didn't need to. King must have been waiting for her cause he opened the door mid-knock and, just as she had suspected, he was wearing nothing but his boxers. "Hi, Rebecca," he said. "You wanna-you wanna come in?"

"No," Vivi said. "Why don't you come out here instead? Just for something a little different?"

King's eyebrow went up as he came out the door and down the steps toward her before he took her in his arms and kissed her. Then, he was suddenly yanked away as Kol and Klaus grabbed him, dumped the witch hazel mixture on him to neutralize his powers, then held him down while Vivi beat on him repeatedly with a bat. When some of his blood landed on her chin, she just licked it off and kept going. Finally, when King was on the pavement, bleeding, and unable to move, Vivi turned back to her normal self in front of King's eyes. "Got your message, sweetie," she said.

"Vivi..." King groaned.

"Save your breath," Vivi replied and gave him a kick. "This wasn't some thing that I did to try and get you to like me again. I've given up on that. I'm done. I've tried _so_ hard to show you that I care, and you just don't seem to give a shit. So you can keep dating whatever floozies catch your eye from now on. You won't have me pressuring you for a commitment that you don't want to make anymore. Instead, you can keep making your father happy by being a playboy, cause it seems that's what you want. I am going to try and get what_ I _want, which is someone who actually gives a crap about me. Goodbye, King." Then she turned on her heel, and she, Kol, and Klaus got in the car and drove away, leaving King, bleeding and badly injured on the sidewalk.

* * *

"So, how did it go?" Amy asked Klaus when he and Vivi returned home. He caught a whiff of her breath and she hadn't been lying when she said she'd be drinking while they were gone.

"It went fine," Klaus replied. "That King shouldn't be bothering Vivi ever again. She gave him a good pounding, but since he's a vampire, it's not like he won't heal from it."

"Where _is_ Vivi?" Amy asked. "Has she even come inside yet?"

"No, she said she wanted to stay in the car for a bit," Klaus shrugged. "Probably to savor the moment. She really has a very good arm, you know."

"I don't want to hear about this," Amy replied. "Please. Can't we just talk about something else?"

"All right," Klaus replied as Amy put her arms around him and rested her head on his shoulder, before falling asleep, after which Klaus carried her to bed, tucked her in, and turned off the light.

Meanwhile, Vivi opened the car door and stepped out, wiping her eyes. She had to admit that there had been a rush to beating the crap out of King. The power she'd felt had been amazing. But now that it was all over, all she felt was loss, and the realization that what she had with King was truly over, and if she wanted to move forward successfully, she couldn't go back to it at all, even though, for the past ten years, her relationship with him had been the only constant thing in her life outside of her family, so all she could do was pick up the pieces and start all over again.


	49. Caught In A Spider's Web

"How did things go with your father and Mary the other day?" Jonathan asked Savannah. "I meant to ask and I completely forgot. Do you think we'll need to worry about letting her near him?"

"No, I don't think we need to worry at all," Savannah replied. "In fact, she and Daddy got along famously."

"Why?" Jonathan asked. "Cause he _bought_ her love and affection like he does with other people?"

"No," Savannah shook her head. "I mean, he was gonna take her to the toy store, but when Mom and I got back, it seemed like they hadn't gone."

"Well, all right then," Jonathan replied. "Good."

It was then that Mary came and pulled on Jonathan's pantleg. He looked down and saw she had a book in her hand and apparently wanted to be read to.

"One question before you go," Savannah told Jonathan. "Could you set up an appointment with a doctor for Mary? She's not talking and I want to make sure she's okay."

"All right," Jonathan nodded. "Consider it done."

* * *

Because of his connections at the hospital, Jonathan was able to get Mary looked at ASAP. When they brought her in and she saw all the people scurrying around, she just buried her head in Jonathan's coat. "You poor child," he said. "I know you're frightened but we'll get you well, all right?" They sat in the waiting room until they were called, and then brought Mary to see one of Jonathan's father's friends, Dr. Kaplan. "What's going on here?" He asked.

"Well, this is Mary, and we adopted her after her parents got in an accident," Jonathan explained. "She hasn't spoken yet and doesn't really like people a whole lot, so we wondered if there was something that was going on with her, maybe as a result of the accident, so we brought her to be checked out."

"Well, from the sound of things, it seems like our psychologist, Dr. Bright, would be more successful answering your questions than I would," Dr. Kaplan, a middle-aged man with a thin face, thinning black hair, and thick glasses told him. "But I'll check her out nonetheless."

However, the appointment didn't go as smoothly as Jonathan and Savannah hoped. When the doctor tried to stick the tongue depressor her mouth following a bunch of other prodding, Mary fought him and even tried to bite his hand, and as he tried to put a thermometer in her ear, she suddenly cried out, "No! Stop, stop, _stop_!" before bursting into tears.

"Oh, my god!" Savannah cried and scooped her up. "She can talk!"

"No more pointy!" Mary shook her head. "Please!"

"All right, darling," Jonathan nodded. "No more. We promise."

Dr. Kaplan smiled. "She seems perfectly healthy, but I can help you set up an appointment with Dr. Bright if you want."

"Maybe later, thank you," Jonathan told him. "But I think she's had enough of doctors today."

They then left the hospital and took Mary to get a toy as a reward for putting up with being needlessly poked and prodded for as long as she had been. Savannah wasn't even sure she'd pick anything, but she ended up choosing a little brown bear with a plaid ribbon around its neck as a companion for her doll.

"What's his name?" Savannah asked as they came out of the store. "Does he have a name?"

"Brownie," Mary said as she clutched the bear to herself.

"Well, that's a very good name," Jonathan told her. "You were a good girl today, Mary."

"Yes, I was," Mary nodded, resting her head against him. "No more pointy."

"No," Jonathan replied. "Not unless you really need it."

They got her home, put her down for a nap, and then Savannah called her father. "Mary can talk!" She cried so loud that Klaus had to hold the phone away from his ear. "Daddy, did you hear me?"

"I think my whole neighborhood heard you," Klaus replied.

"Isn't that great?" Savannah continued. "Jonathan and I were worried, so we took her to the doctor to have her checked out, and she talked!"

"I knew that," Klaus replied. "You didn't have to waste time at the doctor. You could have just asked me."

"Well, that would have been easier, wouldn't it?" Savannah replied. "And it would have saved poor Mary from the stress of being poked and prodded, which was something she was _not_ happy about. In fact, it was that that got her talking."

"You and Putnam_ tortured_ Mary into talking?" Klaus asked.

"No, it was _not_ torture!" Savannah replied. "We were genuinely concerned that she was sick or whatever and just wanted her to be better. And she got a toy out of it in the end, so all is good."

"How did Putnam react to your using my usual method to get on someone's good side?" Klaus asked, the smirk evident in his voice.

"Well, he was feeling just as bad about the whole situation as I was, so he went along with it this time," Savannah replied. "Mary got a little teddy bear friend for her doll and everyone is getting along very well."

"Wonderful," Klaus replied. "I hope you don't mind, but I have to cut our conversation short. A friend of mine is coming tomorrow, and I want to be well-prepared for when he arrives."

"And does Mom know about this friend of yours?"

"No," Klaus replied. "But he's one of my less troublesome friends, so what your mother doesn't know won't hurt her."

"All right, well good luck with that," Savannah told him. "Talk to you later, Daddy. Goodbye."

"Goodbye, sweetheart," Klaus replied. Then the call ended as Mary called Savannah to come play a game with her and Brownie.

* * *

"I'm going to go check on your sister," Gwen told King. "Are you sure you don't know what happened to her?"

"No," King replied. "She just showed up on my doorstep and she was bleeding really bad. Maybe she pissed someone off. I don't know. I've told you that like five million times."

"Well, all right," Gwen replied. "I don't know when I'll be back so you and your father will have to feed yourselves."

"All right," King replied. "Goodbye. I hope Rebecca is getting better. Could you tell her that, and that I'm really sorry for what happened to her?"

"Sure," Gwen replied. "I definitely will."

King then watched his mother go, and then asked himself why he hadn't ratted Vivi out. He could have easily. And then his mother would have probably tried to kill her for hurting Rebecca. Or at least made her be very badly injured. But at the same time, he admitted to himself, both he and Rebecca had sort of brought Vivi's anger on themselves by taking that stupid picture together and sending it to her e-mail with the taunting message attached. And then there's the fact that if Vivi was killed, he'd never see her again. And that wasn't something he wanted to think about. He wanted to get over this constant urge of his to be with other women, and then find her waiting for him with open arms, preferably while wearing lingerie or nothing at all.

He then decided he wanted to hear her voice, so he gave her a call. "What do you want, King?" She asked, her voice tired.

"You should be thanking me," he told her. "I just saved your ass."

"Oh, yeah?" Vivi replied. "And how did you do that?"

"Mom wants to know what happened to Rebecca," King replied. "And I didn't rat you out. She has no idea that you're the reason why my sister practically died."

"Well, thank you," Vivi replied. "And let that be a lesson to you never to send me taunting e-mails about you and other women _ever_ again." She then ended the call and King, smiling to himself, put his phone on his desk and went back to his fantasies.

* * *

"I hope you won't start drinking again if I tell you that a friend of mine is coming to visit," Klaus told Amy the next day.

"Of course not," Amy replied. "But thanks for giving me a heads up. When are they coming?"

Just then, the doorbell rang. "There he is right now," Klaus sprang up from his chair to go and get the door.

"He better not be a troublesome friend," Amy called while Vivi smirked. "Or I'll kill you, Klaus!"

But the man that came over the threshold looked anything but troublesome. His black evening clothes were a great contrast to his pale skin, deepset blue eyes, and slicked back blond hair. "Hello," he said, and kissed Amy's hand. "I'm Viktor Smith. You must be the lovely Amy."

"Well, yes," Amy nodded. "Thank you." She doubted "Smith" was his real last name, but she wouldn't press the issue. He was moving onto Vivi, who was sitting on the sofa looking bored. "You know who I am," he said and kissed her hand too. "But who are you?"

"This is-" Amy began, but Vivi cut her off. "I'm single," she said, and then her eyes widened, and she clapped a hand over her mouth. "I mean, Vivi. My name is Vivian."

"What a beautiful name," Viktor replied.

"Thank you," Vivi replied.

"She's my younger daughter with Amy," Klaus told Viktor. "The older one married a warlock and they adopted a human girl."

"Well that's unexpected," Viktor replied, taking a seat. "From what I remember, witches don't take too kindly to marrying outside their species."

"That's true," Amy replied. "But some of us are less-narrow minded than others."

"You're a witch too?" Viktor wondered aloud. "How interesting."

"So, what brought you here to visit?" Amy asked.

"Just the fact that I haven't seen my old friend in awhile," Viktor replied, eying Klaus.

"If you need someone to show you where all the cool stuff is, I'll take you," Vivi volunteered. "I don't really have much else to do."

"Is that all right with you?" Viktor asked Amy.

"Of course," Amy replied.

"But watch out for her," Klaus warned him. "She just got over a messy relationship."

"You did?" Viktor asked Vivi. "I'm sorry."

"It's not a problem," Vivi replied. "He's a child. I need someone a bit more mature."

"Well, I'm sure you'll find him," Viktor replied, leading her out to his car. Once they were gone, Klaus and Amy looked at one another. "I thought were going to have to worry a second there," she said. "But he doesn't seem to be receptive to her."

"Maybe it's because he's not yet figured out what she's aiming for," Klaus replied. "But I think we should encourage this once he gets with the program."

"Why?" Amy asked. "He's _way_ too old for her!"

"I'm too old for you!" Klaus replied. "Putnam's too old for Savannah. And yet, look at us! If you're looking for reasons to kill this whole relationship before it has a chance to turn into anything, even though it could mean that our daughter will be dating a responsible man with a good job, you'll have to pick something other than 'He's too old for her'."

"Fine, you're right," Amy replied. "But what do you think King will say when he finds out about all this?"

"I don't care," Klaus shrugged. "I really don't."

"I hope this break up with King doesn't make Vivi do something stupid," Amy fretted.

"Of course it wouldn't," Klaus replied. "She's got her head on much straighter than King does."

But despite this assessment from her father, the first thing Vivi did when she got in Viktor's car was take a picture of him with her phone, then send it to King with the caption **My new boyfriend. He's older and better than you. Fuck you, King.**


	50. Set Yourself Free

King stared at the photograph on his phone, his jaw slack. Then, he shut it, closed his phone, and tried to think of a stinging retort to send back to Vivi so she wouldn't think he was some sort of wuss who could give it out, but couldn't take it.

He thought and thought about how to reply, but couldn't think of anything. Then, it hit him: what if the best response was to just ignore her? He _knew_ she was probably sitting somewhere, her phone gripped tightly in her hand, just waiting for a response from him showing how upset her message had made him. But he wasn't gonna give it to her. Let her be happy with her older, richer boyfriend. It wasn't like he didn't have anyone he could replace _her_ with.

"How's Rebecca?" He asked his mother as he caught her on the way out of his room.

"She's doing better," Gwen replied. "That nice Eli boy saved her life when he gave her that blood."

"Yeah," King nodded. "Poindexter's not so bad after all."

"Are you all right?" Gwen asked him. "You seem upset."

"No, I'm not upset," King replied. "Vivi and I are just going through a rough patch right now."

"Oh, I'm sorry," Gwen replied and gave him a hug. "But what else can you expect when you model your relationship on romantic advice from your father?"

"Well, I mean, the two of you work out well enough," King replied. "So I didn't think there would be any harm."

"But you forget that I'm not a sixteen year old girl and have been through enough that I can deal with your father's nonsense without being truly hurt by it," Gwen reminded him. "Vivi is another story entirely."

"Well, you don't have to worry about her," King replied. "She's moved on and so have I."

"Already?" Gwen asked in surprise. "My goodness. Will you be all right, dear?"

"Yes, Mom," King replied. "I'll be fine."

"Well, if you're ever not, you can talk to me," Gwen replied. "It would be a much better idea than going to your father."

"Don't worry," King replied. "I'm never gonna ask Dad to help me with romantic problems ever again, since he's made it clear that he has no time for that sort of thing and that I should just figure it all out myself."

"Well, good luck," Gwen replied. "And please don't do anything stupid."

"I'll try not to," King promised her. "But unfortunately, that ship may have already sailed."

* * *

"So, this former boyfriend of yours," Viktor said to Vivi as they walked around. "What was he like? It's not too sensitive of an issue to talk about, I hope."

"Oh, no," Vivi said. "I can talk about it. I first met him when I was six years old, and even then, our relationship was a bit of a challenge. He was raised in a household where his father taught him that since he was a man, that made him the be-all and end-all of the universe. Now, that attitude is just not acceptable to me, because I want a_ real _relationship, you know? I want to be loved and respected as an equal, and he's just got such a busy social schedule that he can't fit me in the way I want to be fit in, so I finally gave up after trying for so long and broke up with him. I bet he doesn't even care."

"Well, it's his loss," Viktor replied. "You seem like a very beautiful, intelligent, and wise young lady."

"Well thank you for saying so," Vivi replied. "You're very sweet." She paused. "You think you could go tell him that?"

"Well, even if I tried, he seems like he would be much too thickheaded to get the message," Viktor replied. "So why don't you just forget about him and stick with me for awhile?"

"Really?" Vivi asked in surprise. "I mean, are you sure I won't make you bored or something? I _am_ a lot younger than you are."

Viktor chuckled when he heard this. "Well, if you're anything like your father, bored is the last thing I'll be. By the time I'm finished with you, that young man will rue the day he let you go. Do you trust me?"

Vivi smiled. "Use me, Pygmalion. For I am a block of clay for you to sculpt as you wish."

"So you read mythology?" Viktor asked.

Vivi nodded. "I read a little of that. Where are we going first?"

* * *

Amy's jaw dropped as Viktor led a more sophisticated-looking Vivi into her house after a day of shopping. Where previously she'd worn jeans and t-shirts, she now wore leather. Lots and lots of leather, along with stiletto boots that Amy was sure would make Vivi break her ankle.

"My god, what's _happened_ to you?" Amy asked her daughter.

"I've decided to make a few changes in my life," Vivi told her mother. "And I'm starting with my look."

"Don't worry," Viktor assured Amy. "It's all part of a specific plan. I won't have her traipsing around the docks and going after strange men."

"Oh, it's not her going after men that I'm worried about," Amy replied. "It's men going after _her._"

"She won't dress like this always," Viktor replied. "Just to show a certain young man what he's missing."

"So she got you roped into this thing with King?" Amy sighed. "You know, that's really not something you should be encouraging."

"This'll be the last time," Vivi promised. "He'll see how hot I am and that I'm with Viktor, it will make him cry, and then I'll be content to leave it alone."

Amy shook her head. "This still worries me, but I can't do anything to stop it, can I?" She sighed and went to call Savannah and ask how her taking Mary to meet Susanna and Marcel had gone.

"Nope," Vivi said to her mother's retreating back. "Not really."

She and Viktor then left again to flaunt her new look in King's face. They found him at a cafe with one of his 'dates', and as Vivi strode in, she saw him staring at her out of the corner of his eye long enough that his date noticed and tried to recapture his attention.

"Did it work?" Viktor asked as they took a seat at a table. "Did he see you?"

"He did," Vivi laughed. "And his reaction was priceless. I could see him be like that for _years_!"

"That's not a problem," Viktor replied. "We can do this as long as you like."

"Really?" Vivi asked.

Viktor nodded, a smile on his lips as he finally noticed King's shocked and aroused expression, even from across the room. "Really. I'll even act as your boyfriend if you'd like."

"Why would you do all this for me?" Vivi asked. "We've only just met!"

"Are you nervous?" Viktor replied. "Do I scare you?"

"No," Vivi shook her head. "Do I scare _you_?"

"Definitely not," Viktor replied. "So...do we have a deal?"

"Yes," Vivi nodded and reached out to shake his hand. "We have a deal."

But instead of shaking her hand, he leaned forward and gave her a kiss in front of the whole restaurant, and everyone (even King) was looking. Vivi saw his face afterward and realized that at the moment, nothing was better than that.

* * *

In an attempt to cure Mikael's ongoing bad mood because of the presence of his former father-in-law, Regina came to visit him when she knew Dr. Vladimir would be present, and was very pleased when it was the good doctor who answered the door.

"I'm sorry if you were hoping to see your grandfather on the other end of the threshold," he apologized. "But he seems to have disappeared and I can't tell you where he went."

"Well, that's good," Regina replied. "Cause I was hoping to talk to you privately."

"You were?" Doctor Vladimir asked, his voice full of concern. "What about?"

"You're gonna think this is really dumb, but...I'm worried about Declan," Regina replied. "I mean, at one point, we were seeing each other every day. Then he just disappears on me without a word. Could you...could you tell me if he's all right? You _do_ know where he is, don't you?"

"Oh, yes, I know where he is," Doctor Vladimir replied. "And I'm sorry if his sudden disappearance alarmed you. But you have to remember that the boy isn't quite right in the head. He was on the verge of having one of his attacks where he gets very violent, and I thought that having him around you when he's like that wouldn't be good, so I had him go away until he sufficiently recovered."

"Oh, all right," Regina nodded. "So he's...better now? Can I see him?"

"Of course," Doctor Vladimir replied. "I'll have him come visit you tonight. I promise."

* * *

With Doctor Vladimir's words in mind, Regina waited eagerly all day for Declan's arrival, and even into the night. But much to her disappointment, he never showed. She fell asleep thinking that perhaps he didn't love her anyway, and didn't see Declan and Doctor Vladimir sneak ito her room. "I told you I'd let you see her again," Doctor Vladimir whispered. "I would never lie to you, boy. Now, we have to get her out of here. Are you wearing your gloves? We don't want to hurt her before we can put her to good use."

"Yes, I'm wearing my gloves," Declan whispered. He then picked Regina up, tying her up with his magic to keep her restrained before following Doctor Vladimir out to his car, throwing Regina roughly into the trunk, which caused her to awaken and let out a scream at the sight of Declan's menacing figure. He slapped her to keep her quiet and she fell back onto the floor of the trunk. "Be silent!" He whispered.

"Declan?" Regina asked, able to hear the unique accent in his whisper. "Is that you?"

He slapped her again. "Be silent!" He repeated. "No speaking until we get where we're going!"

"And don't worry, dear," Doctor Vladimir added. "I'm sure you'll find it most comfortable, and us most hospitable hosts." Then, both Declan and the doctor burst into laughter as Regina struggled to get herself free.

**The End**

Up next (published in a few days) a sequel story, **Wicked Games**


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